Pakistan squad gears up with practice for second Test against South Africa

Pakistan’s cricket team took part in an intense training session at Newlands on Wednesday as they prepared for the second Test against South Africa, set to begin on January 3.  

The squad focused on net practice, working hard on batting, bowling, and fielding drills. Players also engaged in catching exercises to sharpen their skills ahead of the crucial match.  

The green shirts are determined to bounce back after a narrow two-wicket loss in the first Test in Centurion on Sunday. Despite the defeat, Pakistan’s bowlers impressed with their disciplined performance, especially Mohammad Abbas.  

Returning to the side, Abbas claimed six wickets for just 54 runs in the second innings, leaving South Africa struggling at 99/8. However, a strong partnership between Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen helped the hosts secure the win and confirm their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.  

Pakistan will aim to improve on their missed chances and deliver a strong performance in the second Test to level the series. The match will run from January 3 to January 7 at the iconic Newlands ground.

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and Kyle Verreynne.