Tag: PAK vs SA

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday, announced the star-studded commentary panel for the upcoming series between Pakistan and South Africa.

Former Proteas all-rounder Shaun Pollock will return to Pakistan and will join former Pakistan Test captains Aamir Sohail, Ramiz Raja, Waqar Younis, and former Test cricketer Bazid Khan in the commentary panel.

Zainab Abbas will provide viewers with expert analysis during pre- and post-match shows on PCB’s PitchSide Studio.

Aamir Sohail and Ramiz Raja will be joined by former Pakistan women’s team captain Urooj Mumtaz for the three-match T20I series to be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore, followed by three ODIs to be staged at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

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JP Duminy and Vernon Philander will give their voice behind the mic during the white-ball series set to take place from 28 October to 8 November.

Meanwhile, Zainab Abbas will continue to work as a presenter during the white-ball series.

Cricket fans in Pakistan will be able to witness the action of the series in high-definition on A Sports and Ten Sports; while livestreaming for viewers in Pakistan will be available on Tapmad and Tamasha.

The first Test between South Africa and Pakistan will commence on October 12 at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

South Africa’s Test Squad

Aiden Markram (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj (second Test only), Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, and Kyle Verreynne.

Pakistan Squad

Shan Masood (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi

READ: Asian Cup Qualifiers: Afghanistan team arrives in Pakistan after visa issues resolved

LAHORE: The tickets for the two-Test match series between Pakistan and South Africa will go on sale later today from 5pm.

The online tickets will be available on PCB’s website, while physical tickets for the Test matches will be available at TCS Express Centres from Thursday, October 8.

The first Test will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 12 to 16 October, while the second Test will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 20 to 24 October. Both Test matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.

Tickets for six white-ball matches (three T20Is and three ODIs) will go on sale online and be available at TCS Express Centres from October 16.

To facilitate fans, the entrance for all five days for the first Test at General (Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Ahmed), First-Class (A.H.Kardar, Abdul Qadir, Sarfraz Nawaz, Javed Miandad), Premium (Rajas, Saeed Anwar), and VIP (Imran Khan, Fazal Mahmood) enclosures will be free.

The VIP enclosure (Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram) at Iqbal End, formerly known as Far-End, will be priced at PKR 800 to 1,000, while the VIP enclosure (Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas) at Jinnah End, formerly known as Pavilion End, will also be available to fans from PKR 800 to PKR 1,000.

The Gallery (Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis) at the Iqbal End will be available to fans from PKR 800 to PKR 1,000.

For second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the fans can witness the action on all five days for free from General (Miran Bakhsh, Sohail Tanvir), First-Class (Shoaib Akhtar, Yasir Arafat), Premium (Azhar Mahmood, Javed Miandad) and VIP (Imran Khan, Javed Akhtar) enclosures.

The tickets for PCB Gallery located at the main building will be available to fans at PKR 800 for the first four days of the Test match, while on the fifth day, they will be available at PKR 1,000.

The Platinum Box per seat for the first four days will be available at PKR 8,000, while the ticket for the fifth day will cost a spectator at PKR 10,000.

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For the first T20I to take place on Tuesday, 28 October at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, General tickets will be available to fans at PKR 400, First-Class enclosure tickets will be available from PKR 600.

The tickets for Premium and VIP enclosures will be available at PKR 700 and 800, respectively. Furthermore, the tickets for PCB Gallery and Platinum Box per seat will be available at PKR 1,500 and PKR 15,000, respectively.

For the second and third T20I to take place at Gaddafi Stadium on 31 October and 1 November, the General enclosure tickets will be available at PKR 400.

The First-Class tickets will be available at PKR 600, while Premium and VIP enclosure tickets will be available at PKR 700 and PKR 800, respectively.

The VIP enclosure located at Iqbal End will be available for fans at PKR 1,500, while VIP enclosures (Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas) at Jinnah End will be available to fans from PKR 2,000. The VIP Gallery (Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis) will be available to fans at PKR 2,500.

For the three ODIs to take place at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on 4, 6 and 8 November, the fans can purchase General (Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shahid Nazir) enclosure tickets at PKR 400.

The First-Class (Hanif Mohammad, Taslim Arif, Ijaz Junior) enclosures tickets will be available at PKR 600, while VIP (Javed Miandad, Fazal Mahmood) enclosures will be available at PKR 800.

The tickets for VIP Ground Floor (Imran Khan, A.H. Kardar) enclosures will be available at PKR 3,000. Hospitality boxes for the series are also available for sale. For more information, contact the PCB head office.

READ: Akram, Jamal released from Pakistan squad for South Africa series

South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has backed Dewald Brevis as a game-changer on spin-friendly pitches during the Pakistan tour.

Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, Markram pointed out Brevis’ aggressive gameplay and stated that he could change the course of the game in quick time.

Proteas will be without their ace batter, Temba Bavuma, for the first tour of Pakistan since 202`1. Bavuma suffered a calf strain and was eventually ruled out of the tour.

“He’d definitely be an option, especially with the way he plays spin,” Markram said of Brevis.

Dewald Brevis has played two Tests so far and has already caught the eye with his power hitting in T20I cricket.

“If the conditions are going to be exaggerated, he can quickly change the momentum of the game, doing what he does and playing the way he does. He’ll be a definite consideration, ” he remarked.

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Regarding extreme spin conditions, he emphasized home advantage and deemed the exaggerated pitches as challenging for both teams.

“If it’s your home game, you can pretty much prepare whatever wicket you’d like to prepare. That’s how I see it. Ultimately, if it’s going to be extreme like it was in the English series, then it’s going to be difficult for both teams from a batting point of view.

For us as a squad, we’ve just got to be happy with what we have, whatever the conditions look like, and to back whoever it is on the day to get the job done. So I’m not too fussed by it,” he continued.

South Africa have also picked a spin-heavy squad with an ample variety in their lineups. Notably, Simon Harmer is vastly experienced and has 987 first-class scalps along with 39 in Test cricket.

“They’re all quite different. If you look at the two off-spinners to start with, Simon and Subs [Prenelan Subrayen], especially having faced them now, where it is spinning, it’s two completely different challenges they throw at you. That’s something great to have as a squad,”

“You don’t really want similar types of spinners. They are each quite different, different paces, different types of spin in terms of side spin and overspin and stuff like that, which reacts differently off the wickets. They’ll play a massive role for us there if what we’re expecting is going to be the case,” he concluded.

The first Test will begin on October 12 at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

South Africa squad for Pakistan Tests

Aiden Markram (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj (second Test only), Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne

READ: Clinical South Africa outplay New Zealand in Women’s World Cup clash

LAHORE: All-rounder Aamir Jamal and uncapped left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram have been released from Pakistan’s expanded Test squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa.

On 30 September, an 18-member squad was announced for the series, and it was indicated that it would be trimmed ahead of the first Test.

Aamir has played eight Tests for Pakistan, while Faisal is yet to make his debut.

The opening Test of the series, scheduled to begin on October 12, will mark the start of the World Test Championship (WTC) campaign for both teams.

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South Africa will enter the field as the defending champions, having defeated Australia earlier this year, while Pakistan will look to start the series on a strong note, after finishing at the bottom in the previous cycle.

Notably, this will be the Proteas’ first tour of Pakistan since January 2021, when they faced a 2-0 defeat.

Shan Masood will continue to captain Pakistan with an experienced batting order shaping the lineup of the home team.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Test squad for the forthcoming series against South Africa participated in a scenario-based two-day practice match during their ongoing training camp at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

The scenario-based match aims to enhance players’ skills according to the Test format. After four days of practice, national players will rest tomorrow.

The training camp, which commenced on September 30, will continue till October 8.

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The two-match series against South Africa will commence from October 12 in Lahore, which is expected to be a spinner’s paradise. The series will also mark the start of the ICC Test Championship cycle for Pakistan against the defending champions, South Africa.

Reports suggested that conditions have been designed to favor spinners, with the touring Proteas expected to face a stern test of their batting technique.

For the unversed, this will be South Africa’s first red-ball assignment in Pakistan since January 2021, when they lost 2-0 to the hosts.

South Africa squad:

LAHORE: The Pakistan team’s training camp commenced in the provincial capital ahead of the forthcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, scheduled to begin on October 12.

The training session started under the supervision of the interim red-ball head coach, Azhar Mahmood, and National Cricket Academy (NCA) coaches.

During the practice session, national cricketers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan batted in the nets. Left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram and off-spinner Sajid also bowled.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared the video on its social media handles.

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Earlier in the day, PCB announced an expanded 18-member squad for the forthcoming two-Test series at home against South Africa.

The squad includes three uncapped players: 38-year-old Asif Afridi, wicket-keeper batter Rohail Nazir, and left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram.

Notably, the expanded squad will be trimmed ahead of the first Test.

Shan Masood will continue to lead the side, while the Asia Cup returnees Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Salman Agha, and Shaheen Shah Afridi will join the training camp on October 4.

The opening match of the series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, marking the beginning of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 for Pakistan and South Africa.

The second Test will commence in Rawalpindi from October 20, followed by three T20Is and three ODIs.

READ: Three uncapped players named in Pakistan squad for South Africa Tests

LAHORE: Pakistan have announced an 18-member expanded squad for the forthcoming two-Test series at home against South Africa, set to begin on October 12 here at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

The uncapped players in the squad are 38-year-old Asif Afridi, wicket-keeper batter Rohail Nazir, and left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram. Notably, the expanded squad will be trimmed ahead of the first Test.

Shan Masood will continue to lead the side, while the players who participated in the Asia Cup will join the training camp, which will run under the supervision of red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood and NCA coaches.

The camp will begin today and conclude on October 8, with the Asia Cup returnees Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Salman Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi, will joining on October 4.

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Among the notable omissions is fast bowler Naseem Shah. The fast bowling lineup comprises Khurram Shehzad, Shaheen Afridi, Aamir Jamal, and Hasan Ali.

In batting lineup, Pakistan will rely on regulars, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, alongside captain Shan Masood.

The second Test will commence in Rawalpindi from October 20, followed by three T20Is and three ODIs.

The schedule for the all-format series between South Africa and Pakistan has been finalized, with the Proteas set to visit next month, sources confirmed on Thursday.

The tour will feature two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is. According to the sources, the red-ball leg begins in Lahore on October 12, with the second Test to be played in Rawalpindi from October 20.

The series will also mark the start of Pakistan’s campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle.

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After the Tests, the focus will shift to white-ball cricket. The ODI series is scheduled for October 28 and 30, with the final match on November 2, all to be staged in Rawalpindi.

The T20I series will then follow on November 5, 8, and 9, with Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium likely to host the matches. The T20Is will serve as vital preparation for both sides ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

This will be South Africa’s second visit to Pakistan in 2025, following their participation in the February tri-nation series alongside New Zealand.

Tentative schedule of Pakistan-South Africa series

• 1st Test: October 12–16, Lahore
• 2nd Test: October 20–24, Rawalpindi
• 1st ODI: October 28, Rawalpindi
• 2nd ODI: October 30, Rawalpindi
• 3rd ODI: November 2, Rawalpindi
• 1st T20I: November 5, Faisalabad
• 2nd T20I: November 8, Faisalabad
• 3rd T20I: November 9, Faisalabad

READ: Tanvir Ahmed questions Rizwan’s exclusion amid Haris’ struggles

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made two changes to its Playing XI for Wednesday’s crucial tri-nation series match against South Africa.

Pace bowler Mohammad Hasnain has been included in the playing XI in place of injured Haris Rauf, while Saud Shakeel has replaced middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam.

Haris Rauf, who faced fitness concerns during the tri-series opener against New Zealand, has been advised to rest after sustaining a muscular sprain in the lower chest wall during Saturday’s match.

“Following MRI and X-ray scans, it has been confirmed that Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf sustained a muscular sprain in the lower chest wall region during Saturday’s match against New Zealand,” PCB shared in a statement.

It’s worth noting that Pakistan will be looking to bounce back against South Africa after suffering a defeat in the series opener.

For the unversed, New Zealand achieved a convincing victory against the Pakistan team by 78 runs in the opening match of the tri-nation ODI series at Gaddafi Stadium.

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Batting first, Phillips scored a fiery unbeaten ton after Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell’s fifties to power New Zealand to 330 over the loss of six wickets.

Chasing 331, Pakistan got off to a promising start with the new opening pair of Fakhar and Babar Azam putting together a brisk 52-run stand.

Fakhar Zaman was the only silver lining for Pakistan as they crumbled in chase, and were bowled out for 252 in 47.5 overs at Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan Playing XI: Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Tayyab Tahir, Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Abrar Ahmed

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Eathan Bosch, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Junior Dala, Tony de Zorzi, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Mihlali Mpongwana, Senuran Muthusamy, Gideon Peters, Lungi Ngidi, Meeka-eel Prince, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jason Smith, Kyle Verreynne

READ: ‘Knocking Pakistan out will put a smile on my face’ Heinrich Klaasen

CHENNAI: South African batters managed to hold onto their nerves as they edged spirited Pakistan by one wicket in the 26th match of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.

Set to chase 271, South Africa’s number nine Keshav Maharaj scored the winning boundary off Mohammad Nawaz on the second delivery of the 48th over.

South African openers Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma gave their side a brisk start by scoring 30 runs in the first two overs.

Ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi spoiled South Africa’s flying start as he got rid of in-form de Kock in the fourth over. The left-handed opener scored a 14-ball 24, hitting five boundaries.

Aiden Markram then joined Bavuma in the middle and the pair shared a 33-run stand before the Proteas captain perished in the 10th over, scoring a 27-ball 28.

Markram was then joined by Rassie van der Dussen in the middle and the duo stitched an anchoring 54-run partnership before Usama Mir – Shadab Khan’s concussion replacement – trapped the latter lbw on 21.

South Africa then sustained a major blow to their pursuit as in-form Heinrich Klaasen (12) perished cheaply in the second over, causing South Africa to slip to 136/4.

Coming out to bat at number six, David Miller joined forces with Markram to put together a 70-run stand which lasted when Shaheen Afridi got the former caught behind in the 34th over.

He remained a notable contributor for South Africa with a 33-ball 29.

Markram was then involved in another crucial partnership when he, alongside, Marco Jansen added 29 runs to the total for the sixth wicket before Jansen fell victim to Haris Rauf after a brisk 20-run cameo.

South Africa’s mainstay Aiden Markram then finally perished in the 41st over with the scoreboard reading 250.

He looked to heave Usama over the top but only managed a leading edge to hand a simple catch to Babar Azam.

He remained the top-scorer for South Africa with a gutsy 91 in 93 deliveries, laced up with seven boundaries and three sixes.

South Africa further slipped to 250/8 in the next over when Gerald Coetzee got caught behind off Shaheen. He could score 10 in 13 deliveries.

With the departure of all their set batters, South Africa’s hopes were on Keshav Maharaj.

He put on a sensational 10-run partnership with Lungi Ngidi (4) before a match-winning 11-run partnership with Tabraiz Shamsi (4*).

Maharaj remained unbeaten with a 21-ball seven which featured one boundary.

Shaheen Shah Afridi led the bowling attack for Pakistan with 3/45 while Haris Rauf, Usama Mir and Mohammad Wasim Jr bagged two wickets each.

After opting to bat, Pakistan slipped to 38-2 in the seventh over, with both opening batters back in the dugout.

Skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then raised a 48-run stand for the third wicket before the latter knicked Gerald Coetzee to Quinton De Kock.

Rizwan’s 27-ball 31 featured four boundaries and one six.

Iftikhar Ahmed, who was promoted to bat at number five, then helped knit a 41-run partnership with Babar Azam. However, Tabraiz Shamsi removed both batters in back-to-back overs to reduce Pakistan to 141-5.

Babar Azam scored a 65-ball 50, while Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 21 runs from 31 balls.

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Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan then stabilized Pakistan’s innings with a counterattacking partnership of 84 runs from 71 balls.

Coetzee returned to the attack to break the stand, as Shadab Khan spooned a bumper to the safe hands of Keshav Maharaj at short midwicket.

Khan scored 43 off 36 with the help of three boundaries and two sixes.

Saud Shakeel completed his third ODI half-century before getting caught behind by Shamsi at a total of 240-7. His run-a-ball 52 featured seven boundaries.

Mohammad Nawaz then scored an anchoring 24 to help drag Pakistan’s total to 268, before a leading edge off Marco Jansen flew high and was caught by David Miller.

Subsequently, Lungi Ngidi picked his solitary wicket to wrap Pakistan’s innings at 270.

Tabraiz Shamsi topped the bowling charts for South Africa with his four-fer, while Marco Jansen achieved figures of 3-43.

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