Pakistan, South Africa announce squads for upcoming Test series

Pakistan's new chief selector Muhammad Wasim rewarded several top performers of the domestic season and included nine uncapped players in the squad.

The South Africa Test squad leave for Pakistan for the upcoming series. (Twitter/OfficialCSA)

Karachi/Johannesburg: Six players, including Shan Masood, Haris Sohail and Imam-ul-Haq, from the recent New Zealand series were axed as Pakistan's new chief selector Muhammad Wasim on Friday announced a massively overhauled 20-member squad for the two-Test home series against South Africa.

Wasim rewarded several top performers of the domestic season and included nine uncapped players in the squad, which will be trimmed to 16 players ahead of the first Test. Top scoring batsmen Saud Shakeel, Kamran Ghulam, allrounder Agha Salman, left-arm spinner Nauman Ali, off-spinner Sajid Khan and fast bowlers Hasan Ali and Tabish Khan -- all got call-ups for the series beginning on January 26 at the National Stadium in Karachi. 

The selectors also upgraded young batsman Abdullah Shafique to the Test squad although he was selected for the New Zealand tour as a specialist T20 player and failed in his two outings.
Similarly, the selectors have also called up pacer Haris Rauf, another T20 specialist for the two-Test series.

The selectors also dropped six players from the dismal tour of New Zealand with Wasim insisting that fast bowler Naseem Shah was not in the Test squad because he had an injury. About the ouster of left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, Wasim said the selectors had gone for specialist spinners in Nauman and Sajid Khan keeping in mind it was a home series. Other players dropped from NZ tour include experienced pacers, Muhammad Abbas and Sohail Khan.

Saud Shakeel, Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Tabish Khan, Haris Rauf and Imran Butt are yet to play Tests for Pakistan.

Wasim, a former Test player, insisted that selectors would follow a horses for courses policy now and the squad had been picked keeping in mind the conditions in Pakistan for the SA series.
"Ideally we would like to have players who can adapt to all conditions like Babar Azam but we need time for that. But we want to develop players who can play in any conditions," he said.

Wasim also said that Haris Rauf had been inducted into the Test squad because the selectors felt that the bowling attack lacked aggression in New Zealand and he would bring that element to the pace attack.

Wasim also said that the selectors had done their best to acknowledge the top performers of the domestic season. "This is a reward for their consistent performance, hard work and perseverance during a difficult season played under the strict Covid-19 protocols. This is also an endorsement that domestic cricket will be valued and respected, and will remain a stepping stone for international cricket."

"All those players who aspire to represent Pakistan at the global stage will not only have to feature in it but also perform at the expected levels to earn the selectors' nod. Even the players who have been dropped will not go out of the system and will be closely monitored."

Seamer Jansen replaces Baartman as SA leave for Pakistan after clearing Covid-19 tests

South Africa has replaced paceman Ottniel Baartman with another uncapped seamer Marco Jansen in their 21-member squad which will leave for Pakistan on Friday after the entire squad returned negative for Covid-19.

South Africa are set to return to Pakistan after 14 years to play two Test matches in Karachi and Rawalpindi, starting January 26. It will be followed by three T20 Internationals in Lahore.
Baartman had received a maiden Test call-up for South Africa but was left out due to a medical reason unrelated to Covid-19.

Off they go! All the best to our #Proteas men’s team as they depart for Pakistan this evening. We look forward to an awesome tour! #PAKvSA @TheRealPCB pic.twitter.com/KEXIY5tbED — Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) January 15, 2021

"Your #Proteas are Pakistan bound after all players COVID-19 tests returned negative," Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a tweet.

"There has been one change in the squad as Ottniel Baartman has been replaced by Marco Jansen due an unrelated medical reason."

The 20-year-old Jansen has taken 52 wickets in 12 first-class games. The left-arm seamer has taken 21 wickets at an average of 20.71 in the franchise four-day competition this summer.

South Africa squad: Quinton De Kock (c), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf Du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie Van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Daryn Dupavillon, Marco Jansen. 

Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (C), Muhammad Rizwan (VC), Imran Butt, Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tabish Khan, Haris Rauf, Sajid Khan, Nauman Ali, Yasir Shah. Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz.