Babar Azam recalled for South Africa tour; Sajid Khan misses out
Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been recalled for the Test and white-ball series against South Africa starting next week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday. However, spinner Sajid Khan has been excluded despite his strong recent performances.
Azam, 30, returns to the Test squad after being dropped following Pakistan’s defeat in the opening Test against England in October. He was also rested for the ongoing limited-overs series against Zimbabwe.
The tour includes three T20 internationals beginning on December 10, followed by three ODIs and two Tests. The first Test is scheduled to start on December 26 in Centurion.
Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas has also earned a Test recall, last featuring in 2021. Sajid Khan, who took 19 wickets in Pakistan’s 2-1 home Test series win over England, has been left out due to the expected seam-friendly conditions in South Africa.
“We have adopted a horses-for-courses policy to ensure well-balanced squads,” selector Aaqib Javed explained. “Leaving out Sajid was an extremely difficult decision.”
Shaheen Shah Afridi has been included only for the white-ball matches to manage his workload, while opener Fakhar Zaman remains sidelined due to lack of form and fitness.
Pakistan squads for South Africa tour:
Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Noman Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, and others.
ODIs & T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and others.
(Source: AFP)
