Pakistan rest Afridi for South Africa Tests with eye on Champions Trophy

Pakistan have omitted leading fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from their Test squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa as they look to keep him “physically and mentally fresh” for the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selector Aaqib Javed said.

Star batter Babar Azam has returned to the Test lineup after being dropped for the last two home matches against England, and fast bowler Mohammad Abbas also made a comeback in Pakistan’s squads for the Test, one-day international (ODI), and T20 international series named on Wednesday.

“Shaheen Shah Afridi’s exclusion from the Test squad is a strategic decision to ensure he remains physically and mentally fresh for the Champions Trophy,” Javed said in a statement.

Afridi, ranked second, is the only Pakistani among the top 10 bowlers in the ICC rankings for men’s ODIs.

Pacer Naseem Shah, who was also dropped for the second and third Tests against England, was also named in the 15-man squad.

Abbas has taken 90 wickets in 25 Test matches but has not played red-ball cricket for Pakistan since 2021. He has been in impressive form of late, picking up 31 wickets in five premier domestic four-day tournament matches.

Khurram Shahzad and left-hander Mir Hamza are the other pace bowlers named for the Test leg of the tour.

Pakistan begin their tour of South Africa on December 10 with three T20s, followed by three ODIs, and two Test matches at Centurion and Cape Town.

“We have adopted a horses-for-courses policy to ensure all three squads are well-balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa,” said Javed, who was also appointed interim white-ball coach before Pakistan’s tour to Zimbabwe.

“Our focus in ODIs is to continue building momentum ahead of the Champions Trophy, while the T20 series provides a platform to blend experience with emerging talent.”

Off-spinner Sajid Khan missed out on the Test team despite claiming 19 wickets in the last two Test matches against England at Multan and Rawalpindi.

Noman Ali, who picked up 20 wickets in those two memorable victories for Pakistan, won the selectors’ nod ahead of Sajid. Ali is ranked ninth in the ICC’s Test bowler rankings.

“Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances against England, was an extremely tough and difficult decision,” Javed said.

“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.”

Former all-format captain Babar, along with Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, was named in all three squads.

The selectors have kept faith in youngster Sufiyan Muqeem for T20s and ODIs after the left-arm wrist spinner claimed eight wickets in two T20s against Zimbabwe.

Sufiyan also recorded Pakistan’s best-ever T20 figures of five wickets for three runs at Bulawayo on Tuesday, routing Zimbabwe after bowling them out at their lowest T20 score of 57.

Pakistan squads for South Africa tour

Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha.

ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, and Usman Khan.

T20s: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.