Babar Azam rejoins Pakistan Test squad for South Africa series

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee has decided to include Babar Azam back in the national Test squad for the South Africa series.

Team Green is scheduled to protest in the Centurion Test on December 26 and the Cape Town Test on January 3. According to reports, Babar will be part of the squad for the first Test match.

It should be remembered that the former captain was dropped from the first of the two Test matches against England earlier this year after a poor performance in the first match.

He is just three runs away from completing 4000 runs in Test cricket.

It has been decided to include him in the national team for the first Test match against South Africa, while out-of-form opener Abdullah Shafiq will be dropped from the playing XI.

According to reports, Saim Ayub and Shan Masood will open the batting for Pakistan in the Test match.

The Test series began when Pakistan defeated the host team in all three matches against South Africa to complete a clean sweep in the series.

On Sunday, Pakistan completed a historic series clean sweep by winning the third and final ODI against South Africa by 36 runs in a rain-affected 47-over match at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Chasing a target of 309, South Africa were bowled out for 271 in 42 overs.

The impressive victory in the third ODI of the series was orchestrated by Saim Ayub, who scored his second century of the series, and debutant Sufyan Muqim, who scored 52-4 with half-centuries from captain Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Saim’s 10-over spell of bowling took 1-34.