Pakistan will face South Africa in a two-match Test series, starting with the Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion tomorrow (Thursday). The second Test is scheduled to begin on Friday, January 3, at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.
During their current tour of South Africa, Pakistan lost the three-match T20I series 2-0 but made a remarkable comeback with a historic 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series. The upcoming Test series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, promises to be highly competitive.
Read more: Pakistan Finalizes Squad for South Africa Tour
Pakistan’s Test squad arrived in South Africa on December 13 to acclimatize and prepare for the series. Experienced fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played in August 2021, returns to the squad after taking 31 wickets in five Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches this season. Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad also rejoined the squad after recovering from an injury that ruled him out of the home series against England. Aqib Javed, serving as the interim head coach, will oversee his first red-ball series after leading the team in a white-ball series against Zimbabwe.
Since 1995, Pakistan and South Africa have faced each other in 12 Test series, with South Africa winning seven, Pakistan winning two, and three ending in draws. In their last series, Pakistan defeated South Africa 2-0 at home in early 2021.
Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, expressed eagerness to compete against South Africa, one of the world’s top teams. He highlighted the momentum gained from the recent home Test series against England and the ODI series. Masood welcomed the return of pacers Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas, emphasizing the team’s thorough preparation for the challenging conditions in South Africa.
Pakistan Test squad:
- 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
- Salman Ali Agha
Match Schedule:
- 10 Dec – 1st T20I: South Africa beat Pakistan by 11 runs at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, Durban
- 13 Dec – 2nd T20I: South Africa beat Pakistan by seven wickets at SuperSport Park, Centurion
- 14 Dec – 3rd T20I: Match abandoned without a ball being bowled at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
- 17 Dec – 1st ODI: Pakistan beat South Africa by three wickets at Boland Park, Paarl
- 19 Dec – 2nd ODI: Pakistan beat South Africa by 81 runs at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
- 22 Dec – 3rd ODI: Pakistan beat South Africa by 36 runs (DLS) at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
- 26-30 Dec – 1st Test vs South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion (1pm PKT)
- 3-7 Jan – 2nd Test vs South Africa at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town (1pm PKT)
