Pakistan Includes Babar Azam Across All Formats for South Africa Series

• Pakistan Cricket Board Announces South Africa Tour Squads.
• Shan Masood was named captain of the red-ball team.
• Mohammad Rizwan leads the side in ODIs and T20Is.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Green Shirts’ squads for all three formats for the upcoming tour of South Africa, which kicks off on December 10. The team will compete in three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches, concluding on January 7.

Shan Masood has been named captain of the red-ball team, while Mohammad Rizwan will lead the side in ODIs and T20Is.

The team is coming off a successful 2-1 ODI series win against Zimbabwe and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series. Before this, Pakistan achieved a historic 2-1 ODI series victory in Australia, marking their first series win in the Kangaroos’ backyard in 22 years, though they were subsequently whitewashed in the T20Is.

The South Africa series will be crucial for Pakistan as it provides an opportunity to refine combinations and finalise preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025, set to take place in Pakistan.

Babar Azam has been included in all three squads alongside Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha. Naseem Shah has been selected for Tests and ODIs, while Shaheen Shah Afridi will only feature in white-ball matches as part of workload management.

Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played a Test in August 2021, returns to the Test squad after an impressive Quaid-e-Azam Trophy performance. Sufyan Moqim, a left-arm wrist spinner, earns his first ODI call-up following a standout T20I debut, and Khurram Shahzad has been included after a strong showing for Pakistan Shaheens.

The Test squad will feature one specialist spinner, Noman Ali, while Sajid Khan has been left out despite his 19 wickets against England.

The T20I squad departs for South Africa on December 6, with ODI and Test players set to leave for Johannesburg on December 13. Red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will join the team for a pre-Test camp.

Interim white-ball head coach Aqib Javed explained the “horses-for-courses” selection strategy, emphasizing a balanced approach across formats. He highlighted the need to build momentum in ODIs and experiment with experience and youth in the T20I series.

Regarding Shaheen’s absence from the Test squad, Javed called it a strategic move to ensure the pacer remains fresh for the Champions Trophy.

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