Nine Uncapped Players Include In Pakistan's 20-member Squad For Home Test Series Against South Africa

The selection committee of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 20-member squad include nine uncapped players for the home Test Series against South Africa

KARACHI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Jan, 2021 ):The selection committee of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 20-member squad include nine uncapped players for the home Test Series against South Africa.

The squad includes nine players who have not yet represented Pakistan in the Test cricket, said Chief Selector Muhammad Waseem in a press conference at National Stadium Karachi here on Friday.

Muhammad Waseem said that middle order batsmen Babar Azam (Central Punjab) will be the Captain of the squad, in the Test Match Series between the two teams which is scheduled to start on January 26 in Karachi.

Other players of the squad include openers Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Imran Butt (Balochistan) and Abdullah, Shafiq (Central Punjab), Middle Order Batsmen Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), All-Rounders Fahim Ashraf (Central Punjab) , Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Wicketkeepers Mohammad Rizwan (Vice Captain, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfraz Ahmed (Sindh), Spinners Noman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Yasir Shah (Balochistan), Fast Ballers Haris Ruff (Northern), Hassan Ali (Central Punjab), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Tabish Khan (Sindh).

The Chief Selector said that the national squad will enter the bio-secure bubble on January 19 to participate in the Test series and the final 16-member squad will be announced before the first Test match.

He said that in addition to openers Abdullah Shafiq and Imran Butt, middle order batsmen Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha and Saud Shakeel, spinners Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, fast bowlers Tabish Khan and Haris Ruff were among the nine new players included in the national Test squad.

He said that these players have been included in the national squad thanks to their outstanding performance in the domestic season 2020-21.

He said that all-rounder Hassan Ali has made come-back to the National Test Squad after two years. All-rounder Hassan Ali was declared the best player of the tournament and final for his excellent performance in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Representing Pakistan, Hassan Ali last played a Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg.

Hassan Ali took 43 wickets in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and scored 273 runs, taking 5 wickets for 129 runs in the final of the event.

Hassan Ali played an unbeaten 106 in the second innings.

Mohammad Waseem said that another back come in the National Test Squad is Mohammad Nawaz, who took 22 wickets for 744 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. M.Nawaz took five wickets twice in an innings during the event. Last time M. Nawaz represented Pakistan against the West Indies in Sharjah in 2016.

He said that the announced 20-member squad includes two all-rounders Muhammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf besides three openers, six middle order batsmen, two wicket keepers, three spinners and four fast bowlers.

He added that Haris Sohail, Muhammad Abbas, Shaun Masood and Zafar Gohar, who represented Pakistan in the Christchurch Test against New Zealand, have been dropped from the National Test Squad.

Waseem said that Haris Sohail, Mohammad Abbas and Shaun Masood have been summoned to the National High Performance Center (NHPC) in Lahore.

He added that the NHPC coaches will work with them on the technical shortcomings of the three players.

He said that Zafar Gohar, who made his debut in the Christchurch Test has been asked to work with the coaches of the NHPC to further home their skills.

Mohammad Waseem said that due to inconsistency in Shaun Masood's performance, Abid Ali will now enter the field with a new partner, either Abdullah Shafiq or Imran Butt.