The apex body of Pakistan Cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced their squads for all the 3 formats for their upcoming tour to South Africa, on Wednesday. A surprise inclusion was veteran pacer, Mohammad Abbas.
Mohammad Abbas stages a comeback into the Test side of Pakistan after 3 years and he had last played a Test match against West Indies in August 2021. He comes back after 3 years as Shaheen Afridi has been left out of the Test squad.
“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,” selection committee member Aaqib Javed said in a statement.
But there is a stat that will blow everyone’s minds! Abbas has a terrific average of 23.02 and only Imran Khan had a better average than him, for bowlers who have taken at least 50 wickets in the red-ball format for Pakistan.
Mohammad Abbas has bagged 90 wickets so far in 25 Test matches and has done the hard yard in the domestic circuit for Pakistan.
He has also played a lot of county matches for Hampshire and has taken 180 wickets for them. These are good numbers and to top it off, he had a good average of 19.26 with the red cherry.
Pakistan kickstart their tour to South Africa from 10th December 2024
The Men in Green played 3 T20Is with South Africa, followed by 3 ODIs, starting from 17th December 2024. Pakistan will also be playing 2 Test matches with South Africa and it will be a stern test for them.
The last time when Pakistan had toured South Africa in Tests was in 2018-19 and it was a 0-3 drubbing which they received at the hands of the hosts. Shan Masood and co. would be looking to punch above their weight and etch history in South Africa.
Pakistan Test Squad for tour to South Africa
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.
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