Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi returns to Test squad for South Africa series

Dubai: Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has been included in the 18-man Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against South Africa, set to take place in October.

Shan Masood will captain the side as they begin their campaign in the ICC World Test Championship.

Afridi returns to the Test setup after missing Pakistan’s last red-ball series against the West Indies earlier this year. However, there is no place for fellow pacer Naseem Shah in the squad.

Experienced batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have both been named in the provisional group, which will be reduced ahead of the opening Test scheduled to begin in Lahore on October 12.

Three uncapped players — Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram, and Rohail Nazir — have been included and could make their Test debuts during the series against the reigning World Test Championship winners.

Pakistan’s squad for the white-ball matches following the Test series will be announced at a later date.

Squad: 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, Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Schedule: First Test: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, October 12-16

Second Test: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, October 20-24.