Pakistan Announces Test Squad: Afridi, Nazir, and Akram Earn Uncapped Call-Ups for South Africa Series

Uncapped players Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram and Rohail Nazir have been named in Pakistan's 18-man squad for the two match Test series against South Africa, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced in a media release on Tuesday (September 30). Shan Masood will continue to lead the Test side despite a poor captaincy record of just three wins from his 12 games in charge.

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Alongside Masood, Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq form the top three while the middle-order consists of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam, T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha and Saud Shakeel. Nazir is another 'keeper-bat option for the hosts.

On the bowling front, Pakistan have named five spinners - Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Abrar Ahmed, alongside left-arm bowlers Afridi and Akram, a move that suggests that the pitches might be low and slow. The pace bowling front is rounded off with the selections of Aamir Jamal, Hasan Ali, Khurram Shahzad, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Pakistan and South Africa will embark on their ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle in the two-match series from October 12, with the first game to be played in Lahore while Rawalpindi shall play host to the second Test from October 20. South Africa are defending champions of the World Test Championship mace while Pakistanfinished at the bottom of the standings last time around, winning only five of the 14 Tests.

The two-match Test series will be followed by three T20Is and three ODIs with Pakistan's white-ball squads to be announced in due course.