Shan Masood retained as captain; Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen also part of squad
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named an 18-member squad for the two-match Test series, to be played at home coming month as a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, against South Africa.
Shan Masood will continue to lead Pakistan in the longest format, while three uncapped players — Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram, and Rohail Nazir — have also been included, according to a statement issued by the PCB.
The squad will be further trimmed before the start of the first Test, the national cricket governing body said.
South Africa will be touring Pakistan in October and November for series in all formats of the game. The tour is set to commence with a two-match Test series, set to kick off country’s new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.
The first Test is scheduled from October 12 to 16 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, while the second Test will be staged at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi from October 20 to 24.
The red ball series will be followed by three T20Is and as many ODIs to be played from October 28 to November 8. The squad for the white-ball series will be announced in due course.
The PCB added that the players for the pre-series camp will undergo training under red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood and NCA coaches from today till October 8. The players who featured in the recently concluded ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup will join the squad on October 4.
Pakistan squad and schedule
Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel,Shaheen Shah Afridi
October 12-16 — First Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
October 20-24 — Second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
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