Pakistan name squads for upcoming South Africa tour

According to ICC, the tour will consist of eight matches over the next month, including three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests as part of the ICC World Test Championship.

Star fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has been dropped from the Test series in order to prepare for the 50-over showcase in 2025. Hard-hitting opener Fakhar Zaman was not considered due to ongoing fitness concerns.

There is also no place for Sajid Khan in Pakistan's Test squad despite his recent strong form at home against England, with selectors opting to include seamer Mohammad Abbas in his place due to the conditions the side will likely encounter in South Africa.

Shan Masood will captain Pakistan during the Test series with Mohammad Rizwan named skipper for the white-ball contests. Star batter Babar Azam is among a host of key players named in all three squads.

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In a statement, selector and interim white-ball head coach Aqib Javed said that leaving Sajid Khan even after his top performance in the England series was a tough decision.

"We have adopted a horses for courses policy to ensure all three squads are well-balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa. Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances against England, was an extremely tough and difficult decision. However, considering the pace-friendly conditions at Centurion and in Cape Town, we opted for Mohammad Abbas instead, who is an outstanding exponent of seam bowling," Aqib Javed was quoted by ICC as saying.

The tour will start with the three-match T20I series with the first match taking place on December 10 in Durban. The second match will take place on December 13 in Centurion. Johannesburg will host the final 20-over match of the series on December 14.

The tour will be followed by the three-match ODI series which will kick off on December 17 in Paarl. The second 50-over game will be held in Cape Town on December 19. Johannesburg will host the third ODI match of the series on December 22.

Meanwhile, the first Test match will be played from December 26-30 in Centurion. The second game will be held in Cape Town from January 3-7.

Pakistan Test squad: Shan Masood (C), Saud Shakeel (VC), 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.

Pakistan ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (C/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).

Pakistan T20I squad: Mohammad Rizwan (C/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 and Usman Khan (WK). (ANI)