CENTURION: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the playing XI for the first Test against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday (tomorrow).
The ace batter Babar Azam, who was dropped during the England series in October, will make a return to the team along with the experienced fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played for Pakistan against West Indies in August 2021.
“Abbas has forced his way back into the squad with 31 scalps in five Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches this season,” the PCB said in a press release.
As per the cricket board’s statement, pacer Khurram Shahzad, who was ruled out of the three-match home Test series against England due to injury has returned to the squad too.
Green Shirts will take on South Africa in a two-match Test series — part of the ICC World Test Championship — beginning with the Boxing Day Test on December 26 followed by the Cape Town Test at the Newlands Cricket Ground beginning from January 3, 2025.
Moreover, the statement added that Aqib Javed will join the Pakistan men’s team as interim head coach. The upcoming series will be his first red-ball assignment after assuming the charge of the white-ball series against Zimbabwe last month.
During the all-format tour so far, the Green Shirts lost the three-match T20I series, but, the team made a historic comeback, clinching a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series.
Pakistan Playing XI: Shan Masood (Captain), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehza and Muhammad Abbas.
South Africa Playing Xi: Temba Bavuma (Captain), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, and Corbin Bosch.
Matches schedule
26 – 30 Dec – 1st Test vs South Africa at the SuperSport Park, Centurion (1 pm PKT)
3-7 Jan – 2nd Test vs South Africa at the Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (1 pm PKT)
