Babar Azam and Naseem Shah have been recalled to Pakistan’s Test squad for the upcoming multi-format tour of South Africa.
Notably, Shaheen Afridi has been included only in the white-ball squads as part of his workload management, aimed at preparing him for next year’s Champions Trophy.
After an innings defeat to England in the first Test in Multan, Pakistan dropped Babar, Naseem, and Shaheen to prepare spin-friendly wickets, and successfully won the remaining two matches.
Babar, skipper Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, and Saim Ayub are the only players included in all three squads.
The Test squad also sees the return of Mohammad Abbas, Khurram Shahzad, and Mir Hamza.
Offspinner Sajid Khan, who was named Player of the Series against England in October, has been excluded as Pakistan opted for Noman Ali, the sole spinner in the squad, based on the expected conditions in Cape Town and Centurion.
Abbas, who last played for Pakistan in August 2021, has been in exceptional form in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, taking 31 wickets in five games for Lahore B.
Shahzad has also impressed, picking up 15 wickets for Pakistan Shaheens against Sri Lanka A last month.
In the ODI squad, Sufiyan Muqeem earns his maiden call-up after a standout performance in the ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe, where he took eight wickets in two matches, including a career-best 5 for 3 in the second game.
The Pakistan T20I squad will travel directly to South Africa from Zimbabwe after the third match on December 6, while the Test squad will arrive on December 13.
Pakistan’s tour will include three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests from December 10 to January 7.
The Test squad will be led by Shan Masood, while Mohammad Rizwan will captain the white-ball teams.
Tests:
| Player Name |
|---|
| 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 |
| Salman Ali Agha |
ODIs:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk) |
| 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 |
| Sufyan Moqim |
| Tayyab Tahir |
| Usman Khan (wk) |
T20Is:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk) |
| Abrar Ahmed |
| Babar Azam |
| Haris Rauf |
| Jahandad Khan |
| Mohammad Abbas Afridi |
| Mohammad Hasnain |
| Muhammad Irfan Khan |
| Omair Bin Yousuf |
| Saim Ayub |
| Salman Ali Agha |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi |
| Sufyan Moqim |
| Tayyab Tahir |
| Usman Khan (wk) |
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