Pakistan has recalled fast bowler Mohammad Abbas for Test cricket after a three-year gap, while Shaheen Shah Afridi will focus solely on white-ball formats during the upcoming tour of South Africa. Abbas, who last played a Test in Jamaica in 2021, has been in top form, taking 31 wickets in five matches in a premier domestic four-day competition.
Selection committee member Aaqib Javed explained that Afridi's exclusion from the Test squad is a strategic move to keep him fresh for the Champions Trophy. The Test squad's pace attack includes Naseem Shah, who missed recent home matches against England, alongside Khurram Shahzad and left-arm seamer Mir Hamza.
Pakistan’s tour of South Africa begins next Tuesday with three T20 matches, followed by three ODIs and two Tests at Centurion and Cape Town. Javed, also serving as interim white-ball coach for the Zimbabwe tour, stated that the selectors followed a “horses for courses” policy to ensure balanced squads for the series. The ODI focus is to build momentum for the Champions Trophy, while the T20 series aims to integrate young talent with experienced players.
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Notable exclusions include off-spinner Sajid Khan, despite his impressive performance of 19 wickets in two Tests against England. Noman Ali, who claimed 20 wickets in the same series, was preferred due to the seam-friendly conditions expected in South Africa. Javed acknowledged the difficulty of dropping Sajid but emphasized Abbas’s expertise in such conditions.
Key players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha were included in all three squads. Left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem retained his spot in the T20 and ODI squads after delivering a record-breaking five-wicket haul in Zimbabwe.
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Squads:
Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha.
ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.
T20s: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.