Pakistan revealed its playing XI for the first Test against South Africa, which kicks off on 26 December, Thursday at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Former captain Babar Azam, who was left out after the first Test against England in Multan in October, has returned to the team. Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam, who played his first Test in place of Azam during the England series, has kept his place in the squad.
Based on the arrangement of the lineup, skipper Shan Masood is expected to open the innings with young sensation Saim Ayub. Abdullah Shafique has been left out after his dry run with the bat, Shafique scored three consecutive ducks in the three-match ODI series.
The team, captained by Shan Masood, is coming off a 2-1 series victory at home against England in the longest format, following a shameful 0-2 loss to Bangladesh on their home turf.
🚨 Pakistan's playing XI for the first Test against South Africa in Centurion 🇵🇰#SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/8BdXEPAMfh
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 25, 2024
Pakistan’s middle and lower middle order include Kamran Ghulam, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, vice-captain Saud Shakeel, and Salman Agha. The visitors have chosen to go with an entirely pace-focused attack featuring Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Abbas also regained his spot in the test side for the first time since 2021.
Pakistan defeated the Proteas 3-0 in the recently finished One-Day International series, making history as the first team to achieve this feat.
In terms of their head-to-head encounters, Pakistan and South Africa have contested 12 Test series since 1995, with Pakistan securing victory in just two of those. However, South Africa needs one more win to secure their spot for the final of The World Test Championship (WTC).
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Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
