Published: Jan 24, 2021, 08:03 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 24, 2021, 08:03 PM (IST)
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday announced a 17-member squad for the first Test match against South Africa. Both teams will engage in a two-match Test series which will commence from Tuesday at the National Stadium.
Skipper Babar Azam, who missed the Test series against New Zealand after sustaining a thumb fracture in nets, has been included in the squad. While former skipper and wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed also find his place in 17-member team.
Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam and Salman Ali Agha are the players who have been left out from the list of probables who were part of the training camp in the lead-up to the Test series.
Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan will partner Yasir Shah in the spin department, while the fast bowling line-up includes Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi and Tabish Khan, alongside Hasan Ali. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz are the two all-rounders.
It will be after 14 years, South Africa will travel to Pakistan for two-match Test series in Karachi and Rawalpindi, starting on January 26. It will be followed by three T20 internationals in Lahore.
The last time the two teams met in Pakistan was in 2007 when South Africa beat the hosts 1-0 in a two-match Test series. South Africa are the fourth country to tour Pakistan in the last 15 months after Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Pakistan Squad: Abid Ali, Imran Butt, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Yasir Shah, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tabish Khan
South Africa squad: Quinton De Kock (c), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf Du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie Van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Sarel Erwee, Alviro Petersen, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Daryn Dupavillon, Sarah Baartman.
(With IANS Inputs)
