SA vs Pak Test Series – Babar Azam and Naseem Shah return – Shaheen Afridi out

Shaheen Shah Afridi was left out of Pakistan’s squad for the two-Test series in South Africa in December and January. Afridi, who was released from Pakistan’s Test team after their first Test loss against England in October, remains part of the touring white-ball teams. Babar Azam and Naseem Shah, who were released along with Afridi after that first Test, return to the Test team.

However, Afridi’s absence specifically from Tests seems to signal a point in his career where the red-ball format has become less of a priority than before, a status that may even become permanent for him. When he was dropped in October, it was believed that the more pace-friendly surfaces in South Africa, where he played his second and third Test matches five years earlier, would suit him better as he attempts to return to form in the format.

Since returning from a knee injury suffered during a Test in Sri Lanka in July 2022, Afridi has played only a handful of Tests and has been ineffective in doing so; In six games, he has 17 wickets at an average of 45.47. His omission from these Tests makes it extremely unlikely that he will regain his place for Pakistan’s home Test series against the West Indies in January, after which Pakistan will not have any Test matches until October 2025.

There is also a return for seamer Mohammad Abbas, who last played Test cricket for Pakistan in 2021. Abbas, whose metronomic precision and ball-stitching ability initially landed him in the Pakistan team when they played their home Tests in the United Arab Emirates United, he is the only fast bowler in the team who was also in the team in Pakistan’s last Test tour to South Africa in 2018-19.

Meanwhile, Sajid Khan was left out of the traveling party. Alongside Noman Ali, Sajid was instrumental in turning the series against England as Pakistan readjusted their pitches to suit the spinners, taking 19 wickets in the two Tests. But the surfaces in South Africa will be very different to those, and Pakistan travel with just one spinner and have instead opted for Noman’s orthodox left-arm spin.

That means Abrar Ahmed, at the start of this season considered Pakistan’s leading Test player, has also been omitted.

Khurram Shahzad returns to the Test squad for the first time since a recurring rib injury sidelined him after Pakistan’s home Tests against Bangladesh in August. Initially, it was thought he would be out for only a few days, but it would turn into a much longer absence as he missed the entire England Test series. However, since returning in late October, he has been in brilliant form, taking 13 wickets in two Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches and another 15 in three innings against the Sri Lanka A team.

This leaves the Pakistan team somewhat bereft of high pace, a quality more valuable in South Africa than perhaps anywhere else. Naseem is Pakistan’s only truly fast bowler in the series, with Aamer Jamal, Shahzad, Abbas and Mir Hamza the others in the team. This is likely to mark a stark contrast to the South African Test team, which currently possesses a battery of fast bowlers who can hit 140 and even more.

There is much less change in Pakistan’s white-ball teams as Pakistan opted to largely stick with the team that played the ODI and T20I series in Australia. Sufiyan Muqeem’s bright start in Zimbabwe has seen him rewarded as he retains his place for both white-ball teams against South Africa, while Omair Yousuf is part of the T20I squad.

Pakistan plays three T20Is and three ODIs in South Africa between December 10 and 22, and two Test matches in Centurion and Cape Town from December 26 and January 7. South Africa is statistically Pakistan’s least happy hunting ground in Test cricket, where they have only won two Test matches and never a Test series.

Pakistan teams for South Africa tour

Evidence: 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
ODI: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, week), 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 , Usman Khan (week)
T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, week), 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 (week)

Pakistan teams for South Africa tour

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