Aqib Javed reveals why Shaheen was dropped from South Africa Test squad

Aqib Javed reveals why Shaheen was dropped from South Africa Test squad

The Pakistan men’s selection committee has announced the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour
Aqib Javed reveals why Shaheen was dropped from South Africa Test squad

Webdesk

|

4 Dec 2024

The Pakistan men’s selection committee has announced the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour, set to take place from December 10 to January 7. The tour will feature three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches.

Notably, spinner Sajid Khan, who took 19 wickets in two Test matches against England, and pacer Shaheen Afridi have been excluded from the squads.

Aqib Javed, a member of the selection committee, explained that the exclusion of Sajid Khan was based on the "horses for courses" policy, which takes into account the suitability of players to the specific conditions of the tour.

He noted that South African pitches are not conducive to spin bowling, with Noman Ali, who took 20 wickets against England, being the only spinner selected for the Test squad.

“We have adopted the horses for courses policy to ensure all three squads are well-balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa,” Aqib Javed said.

He added that while the decision to leave out Sajid Khan was tough, the pace-friendly conditions at Centurion and Cape Town led to the inclusion of Mohammad Abbas, a seam bowler known for his effectiveness in such conditions.

Regarding Shaheen Afridi, Aqib revealed that the pacer’s exclusion was a strategic move to keep him fresh and fit for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The selection committee also omitted opening batter Fakhar Zaman from the white-ball series due to his ongoing recovery from an injury and lack of match fitness.

The squads for the South Africa tour are as follows:

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

ODI Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)

T20I Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)

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