The PCB has announced the Test squad for the tour of South Africa starting December 10. Key players Babar Azam and Naseem Shah return, while Shaheen Afridi and Sajid Khan have been excluded. Mohammad Abbas makes a comeback, and the squad will feature only one specialist spinner, Noman Ali. The series consists of two Tests, commencing on December 26 in Centurion.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced its Test squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa, commencing on December 10. While notable players Babar Azam and Naseem Shah have made their return to the squad after being rested during the home Tests against England, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi and influential spinner Sajid Khan have been omitted. Pacer Mohammad Abbas has made a noteworthy comeback to the Test side. Additionally, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mehran Mumtaz, and Zahid Mahmood have also been excluded from the squad. The only specialist spin option featured will be the left-arm spinner Noman Ali.
The unexpected exclusion of Sajid Khan stands out, given his critical contributions in recent matches, which included nine wickets in the second Test against England in Multan and eight wickets in the following Test at Rawalpindi. Aqib Javed, a member of the selection committee, explained, “We have adopted a horses for courses policy to ensure all three squads are well-balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa.” He further remarked, “Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances against England, was an extremely tough and difficult decision. However, considering the pace-friendly conditions at Centurion and in Cape Town, we opted for Mohammad Abbas instead, who is an outstanding exponent of seam bowling.”
Additionally, Shaheen Afridi’s exclusion has been strategically considered for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, despite his inclusion in the ODI and T20I formats for the South Africa tour. The two-Test series is set to kick off on December 26 in Centurion, with the second Test scheduled for January 7, 2025, in Cape Town.
The confirmed Test squad consists of 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, and Salman Ali Agha.
This announcement by the PCB is significant as it sets the stage for Pakistan’s performance in the crucial series against South Africa. The return of key players like Babar Azam and Naseem Shah is expected to bolster the squad’s strength. However, the decisions to drop prominent players like Shaheen Afridi and Sajid Khan indicate a strategic approach to adapt to South Africa’s playing conditions, which traditionally favor fast bowlers and seamers, particularly in the selected venues of Centurion and Cape Town.
In summary, the Pakistan Test squad for the upcoming South Africa tour reflects a strategic selection aimed at optimizing performance in pace-friendly conditions. The decision to omit Shaheen Afridi and Sajid Khan, despite their recent successes, underscores the PCB’s commitment to adapting its strategy for different environments while also looking ahead to future tournaments like the ICC Champions Trophy. This approach indicates a calculated effort to blend experience with performance in formulating the squad.
Original Source: thesportstak.com
