Pakistan have included 38-year-old Asif Afridi, along with Faisal Akram and Rohail Nazir, as three uncapped players in an expanded 18-man squad for the two-Test series at home against South Africa.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will trim the squad closer to the start of the first Test, which begins on 12 October in Lahore.
Asif and Faisal will bolster the spin-bowling department, which already comprises Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Abrar Ahmed. While the others are finger-spin options, 22-year-old Faisal is a wrist-spinner.
In the fast-bowling department, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Khurram Shahzad, and Aamir Jamal have been included. Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Ali have been left out.
While Mohammad Rizwan remains the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, Rohail will serve as the back-up option.
Imam-ul-Haq, who last played a Test in 2023, returns to the side. He replaces Saim Ayub, who has been struggling with the bat.
The Test regulars in the batting department – Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, and captain Shan Masood – have retained their spots.
Shaheen, Salman, Abrar, and Hasan – all part of the Asia Cup squad – will join the training camp in Lahore. Under the supervision of senior men’s red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood, the camp is scheduled to be held from 30 September to 8 October.
Pakistan squad for two-Test series vs South Africa:
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, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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