Pakistan Test squad to gather in Dubai ahead of South Africa series

Pakistan’s Test team is set to convene in Dubai before heading to South Africa for their two-match red-ball series against them.  

Players from Karachi and Lahore will travel to Dubai to assemble as a unit before their departure to South Africa. Key squad members such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, and Saim Ayub, who are currently engaged in white-ball matches in South Africa, will shift their attention to the upcoming Test series once the ongoing games conclude.  

Naseem Shah, Kamran Ghulam, and Abdullah Shafique, who are included in both ODI and Test squads, will also join the preparatory camp. Additionally, Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, and Noman Ali are set to link up with the team for the series.  

Red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie is expected to arrive in South Africa shortly to oversee the team’s training and strategy sessions ahead of the matches.  

In the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 standings, Pakistan currently sits in seventh place with 40 points from 10 matches, including four victories. Meanwhile, South Africa leads the table with 76 points from 10 matches and is just one win away from securing a place in the WTC final, boasting an impressive win percentage of 63.33%.  

Pakistan Test squad:
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), 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, Salman Ali Agha  

Pakistan-South Africa Test series schedule:

• 26-30 December: First Test, Centurion  
• 3-7 January: Second Test, Cape Town