Lahore, December 4, 2024 – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday unveiled the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour, marking the return of veteran pacer Mohammad Abbas to the Test side after a three-year absence.
Pakistan will play three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests during the tour, scheduled from December 10 to January 7. Star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha have been included across all three formats, while fast bowler Naseem Shah will feature in the Tests and ODIs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi has been named in the white-ball squads as part of workload management, aiming to ensure peak fitness for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
Mohammad Abbas, who last played for Pakistan in August 2021, earned his recall to the Test side following an exceptional Quaid-e-Azam Trophy season, where he took 31 wickets in five matches. The 33-year-old has a career tally of 90 wickets in 25 Tests.
The Test squad also includes Khurram Shahzad, who impressed with 15 wickets for Pakistan Shaheens against Sri Lanka ‘A’ last month, and Naseem Shah, who returns after missing the recent England series due to injury.
However, off-spinner Sajid Khan missed out despite his 19 wickets against England, with selectors opting for a single specialist spinner, Noman Ali, based on South African pitch conditions.
Sufyan Muqeem, a promising left-arm wrist spinner, has been included in the ODI squad for the first time after his standout performances in T20Is, including a five-wicket haul in the second T20I against Zimbabwe.
The T20I squad will leave for South Africa on December 6 after completing their ongoing series against Zimbabwe, while ODI and Test players will join them on December 13. Pakistan’s red-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie, will arrive in Johannesburg to oversee the pre-Test training camp.
