Pakistan name squad for South Africa Test series

The national selection committee has named an 18-member squad for the two-Test match series, part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 against South Africa, commencing on 12 October. The squad will be further trimmed before the start of the first Test.

Shan Masood will continue to lead the side, while three uncapped players – Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram and Rohail Nazir have also been included.

South Africa, champions of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, will take on Pakistan in the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 12 to 16 October, while the second Test will be staged at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi from 20 to 24 October.

The two-Test match series will be followed by three T20Is and as many ODIs to be played from 28 October to 8 November. The squad for the white-ball series will be announced in due course.

‘Abrar was deliberately benched to make room for Shadab’

The players for the pre-series camp will undergo training under red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood and NCA coaches later today till Wednesday, 8 October. The players who featured in the recently concluded ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup will join the squad on 4 October.

Pakistan squad:

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 and Shaheen Shah Afridi

South Africa tour to Pakistan

12-16 October – First Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

20-24 October – Second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

28 October – First T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

31 October – Second T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

1 November – Third T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

4 November – First ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

6 November – Second ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

8 November – Third ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad