Pakistan pacer Khurram returns to test squad for S Africa series

Pakistan fast bowler Khurram Shahzad has been added to the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday.

Khurram, 25, had been sidelined during the home Test series against England in October due to a side injury sustained in September during Pakistan’s 2-0 series win over Bangladesh.

He now joins the squad alongside 34-year-old Mohammad Abbas, marking Abbas’s return to Test cricket for the first time since 2021.

Test captain Shan Masood expressed optimism about the additions, stating, "The return of pacer Khurram Shahzad, who did really well on his debut in Australia, and the seasoned campaigner Mohammad Abbas is a welcome development for Pakistan's Test side."

Masood acknowledged the challenge posed by South Africa in the ICC World Test Championship but emphasized that the team had prepared extensively, arriving in the country two weeks ahead of the series.

The first Test begins on Thursday in Centurion and marks the first red-ball assignment for Pakistan's newly appointed interim coach Aqib Javed.

Pakistan’s squad for the first Test includes Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Abbas.