LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the playing XI for the first Test against South Africa.
Pakistan will field four fast bowlers, with experienced pacer Mohammad Abbas making his return to the playing XI. Abbas last played a Test for Pakistan in August 2021 against the West Indies.
His selection comes after an impressive performance in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he claimed 31 wickets in five matches this season.
The playing XI includes captain Shan Masood, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Abbas.
The two-match Test series between Pakistan and South Africa begins tomorrow. The first Test, a Boxing Day match, will be played at SuperSport Park in Centurion, while the second Test is scheduled from January 3 in Cape Town.
Earlier, Pakistan faced a 2-0 defeat in the T20I series but secured a historic 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series on South African soil. This has raised hopes for an exciting and competitive ICC World Test Championship series.
Pakistan’s last Test series, under Shan Masood’s captaincy, resulted in a 2-1 victory against England.
The Test squad comprises Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha.
