LAHORE – Pakistan cricket team left for South Africa here on Thursday. During the lengthy tour which ends on February 6, 2019, Pak team will play three test matches, five one day internationals, and three T20 games.
Karachi based players including skipper Sarfraz Ahmad, Shan Masood, and Asad Shafiq will travel from Karachi. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah will join the team on December 20 due to personal reasons.
Pakistan team will open the tour with the first Test at Centurion from Dec 26. The second test will be played at Cape Town from January 3 to 7 next year, while the third and final match is in Johannesburg
from January 11 to 15.
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir is back in the squad after being dropped from the recently concluded series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates. Also making comebacks are leg-spinner Shadab Khan, and openers Fakhar Zaman and Shan Masood.
Backup wicketkeeper to Sarfraz, Mohammad Rizwan, has also returned to the squad after his consistent performance in domestic cricket and for Pakistan ‘A’.
Pak squad for South Africa Tests:
Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain and wicketkeeper), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi
Programme of matches in the tour
December 26-30: First Test, Centurion
January 3-7: Second Test, Cape Town
January 11-15: Third Test, Johannesburg
January 19: First ODI, Port Elizabeth
January 22: Second ODI, Durban
January 25: Third ODI, Centurion
January 27: Fourth ODI, Johannesburg
January 30: Fifth ODI, Cape Town
February 1: First T20I, Cape Town
February 3: Second T20I, Johannesburg
February 6: Third T20I, Centurion
