Pakistan unveils playing XI for first Test against South Africa

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the playing XI for the first Test against South Africa.

Pakistan will field four fast bowlers, with veteran pacer Mohammad Abbas making a comeback to the playing XI. Abbas last played a Test for Pakistan against the West Indies in August 2021.

He has been selected after his impressive performance in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he took 31 wickets in five matches this season.

The playing XI includes captain Shan Masood, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas.

The two-Test series between Pakistan and South Africa begins tomorrow. The first Test will be played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Boxing Day, while the second Test is scheduled to be played in Cape Town from January 3.

Earlier, Pakistan had lost the T20I series 2-0 but achieved a historic 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series on South African soil. This has raised hopes of an exciting and competitive ICC World Test Championship series.

Pakistan’s last Test series under the captaincy of Shan Masood was a 2-1 win against England.

The Test squad comprises Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha.