Pakistan’s premier fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi, has been left out of the squad for the two-test series in South Africa as part of workload management aimed at ensuring his peak fitness for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday.
Afridi, who also missed Pakistan’s last two tests against England, has been included in the six limited-overs matches in South Africa, starting December 10.
“Shaheen Afridi, who also missed the last two tests against England, has been picked for the white-ball matches as part of his workload management so that he is in his best fitness and form for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” the PCB stated.
Changes in the Test Squad
Fast bowler Naseem Shah and batting star Babar Azam, both of whom were sidelined in the England series, make their return for the test matches. However, off-spinner Sajid Khan, who claimed 19 wickets in two matches to lead Pakistan to a 2-1 series victory against England, has been dropped.
Selector and interim coach Aqib Javed explained the decision:
“Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances, was an extremely tough call. However, considering the pace-friendly conditions in Centurion and Cape Town, we opted for Mohammad Abbas, an exceptional seam bowler.”
Pakistan’s Packed Schedule
The Pakistan T20I squad is set to leave for South Africa on Friday, immediately after Thursday’s third T20I against Zimbabwe. ODI and Test players will follow on December 13.
The red-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie, will also join the squad in Johannesburg on December 13 to oversee preparations.
- First T20I: December 10 in Durban
- First ODI: December 17 in Paarl
- Test Matches: December 26 in Centurion and January 3 in Cape Town
Pakistan Squads for South Africa Tour
Test Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, 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
ODI Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)
T20I Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)
With a balanced mix of youth and experience across formats, Pakistan aims to fine-tune their preparations leading into the ICC Champions Trophy next year.
