Daily Times

Pakistan are set to feature in a two-match Test series against South Africa beginning with the Boxing Day Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.

The second Test will commence at the Cape Town’s Newlands Cricket Ground from January 3.

In their ongoing all-format tour to South Africa, Pakistan lost the three-match T20I series 2-0 while came back to inflict a historic 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series. The Test series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, is expected to be highly competitive as well.

Members of the Pakistan’s Test squad reached South Africa on 13 December in order to prepare well and acclimatise with the local conditions. The Test squad has seen return of the experienced fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played for Pakistan against West Indies in August 2021. He has forced his way back in the squad with 31 scalps in five Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches this season.

Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, who was ruled out of the three-match home Test series against England due to injury has returned to the squad too. Aqib Javed is the interim head coach of Pakistan men’s team and this will be his first red-ball series after taking the charge in the white-ball series against Zimbabwe last month.

Pakistan and South Africa have played each other in 12 Test series since 1995, out of which seven have been won by South Africa while Pakistan emerged victorious in two, while three ended-up as draws. In the recent most Test series between the two nations, Pakistan beat South Africa 2-0 at home in Jan-Feb 2021.

Shan Masood, Pakistan’s Test captain in a statement said: “We are eagerly looking forward to measure ourselves against South Africa, who have always been one of the top sides in the world. We have got some momentum from the recently concluded home Test series against England and the ODI series which featured a number of our Test squad members.

“The return of pacer Khurram Shahzad, who did really well on his debut in Australia and the seasoned campaigner Mohammad Abbas is a welcome development for Pakistan’s Test side looking to bag wins in one of the toughest conditions for overseas teams.

“We know South Africa have done well in this iteration of the ICC World Test Championship but we have prepared for this series in the best possible manner as well after having arrived in the country at least two weeks ago.”

Pakistan Test squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha.