NewDelhi: The very awaited Test series between South Africa and Pakistan will begin on Thursday, December 26, 2024, with the first match at Centurion. The Pakistan team has made a few surprising changes in their selection announcement for this match, which has attracted the attention of the cricket fraternity.
In a great announcement, Pakistan has omitted Abdullah Shafique from the XI selected for the match, following his unimpressive performance in the ODI series, where he was dismissed for a duck in all three matches. One of the fast bowlers, Mir Hamza, has also left the team. However, Mohammad Abbas returns to the Test team after a three-year break, and he will strengthen the bowling lineup with his experience.
Pakistan’s Playing XI for the Centurion Test:
Shan Masood (Captain)
Saim Ayub
Babar Azam
Kamran Ghulam
Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper)
Saud Shakeel (Vice-Captain)
Salman Agha
Aamir Jamal
Naseem Shah
Khurram Shehzad
Mohammad Abbas
Pakistan has chosen four fast bowlers in the formation, with Salman Agha the only spinner, but he is part-time. They are coming off a successful run in the ODI series, where they defeated South Africa 3-0. However, they have a harder challenge in the tests form. South Africa has been in great shape, winning the last five Tests they played.
Pakistan has historically found it difficult to play in South Africa, winning only two out of the 15 Tests played on South African pitches. The last Test win of the team in the country was in 2007. On the other side, South Africa wants to win the series against Pakistan badly, as it could be the ticket for them to become the first team to qualify for the finals of the World Test Championship.
The captain of South Africa, Temba Bavuma, projected that they would win both of the matches in this series. As the sporting world shifts the focus of the attention to the Centurion, the fans can’t wait to see how the conflict will be.