LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee has decided to include Babar Azam in national Test squad again for South Africa series.
The Team Green is set to take on Protest in Centurion Test on 26 December and Cape Town Test on 3 January. Reports said Babar would be part of the squad for first Test match.
It is recalled that the former skipper was dropped in two Test matches against England earlier this year after his poor performance in the first game.
He is just three runs away from completing 4,000 runs in Test cricket.
It has been decided to include him in the national team for the first Test match against South Africa, while out-of-form opener Abdullah Shafiq would be dropped from the playing XI.
Reports said Saim Ayub and Shan Masood will open the batting for Pakistan in the Test match.
The Test series comes after Pakistan completed a series sweep against South Africa by beating the hosts in all three matches.
On Sunday, Pakistan completed a historic series sweep over South Africa winning the third and final ODI of the series by 36-runs in a 47-over rain-hit contest at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. South Africa, in pursuit of a 309-run target, were restricted for 271 all out in 42 overs.
The remarkable victory in the third ODI of the series was orchestrated by Saim Ayub, who hit his second century of the series, and debutant Sufyan Moqim, who returned figures of 4-52 along with half-centuries from skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Saim’s 10-over spell of bowling yielded 1-34.
