Babar Azam and Mohammad Abbas Make Comeback in Pakistan’s Test Squad for South Africa Series
The PCB announced the squad for the first test of the two matches against South Africa will feature well-known batter Babar Azam and seasoned fast bowler Mohammad Abbas. They're being added back into the Pakistan squad. The match will be held at SuperSport Park, starting on December 26 and ending on December 30.
After not playing in the last two tests of the three-match series with England in October, Babar is returning to the Test squad. He hasn't been playing well lately, only getting 366 runs in 18 innings and not getting higher than 50 since he hit 161 runs against New Zealand in December 2022. Babar is taking Abdullah Shafique's spot, who got a score of zero in three straight ODI games against South Africa.
Shan Masood and Saim Ayub to Open the Batting for Pakistan:
Shan Masood, Pakistan's Test captain, is going to open with Saim Ayub, who is doing very well with his bat; then in the middle-order for the first Test, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, and Salman Ali Agha were included. Coming in at number eight is Aamir Jamal, who's the all-rounder.
Aamir, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Abbas are the fast bowlers on the team. After performing well in domestic games, Abbas is back in the group; the last time he played for Pakistan was in August 2021, against the West Indies.
Predicted Pakistan’s Playing XI:
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Shan Masood (C), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, |
| Wicket-keepers | Mohammad Rizwan |
| All-rounders | Aamir Jamal, Salman Ali Agha |
| Bowlers | Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas |
Predicted South Africa’s Playing XI:
| Category | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (C), David Bedingham |
| Wicket-keepers | Kyle Verreynne |
| All-rounders | Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch,Aiden Markram |
| Bowlers | Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson |
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