Pakistan team depart for South Africa

Pakistan unit comprise 21 players and 13 officials.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – A 34-member Pakistan unit – comprising 21 players and 13 officials – Friday departed for South Africa on a chartered flight for three one-day internationals (ODIs) and four Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

The ODI series – a part of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League – will begin on April 2. The team will play four T20Is after the 50-over matches and depart for Zimbabwe for three T20Is and two Tests before returning home on May 12. Zimbabwe tour itinerary will be announced in due course.

#SAvPAK #HarHaalMainCricket #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/lkB4LuaQcp

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 26, 2021

All players and officials tested negative for COVID-19 before departure. Uncapped middle-order batsman Saud Shakeel has not travelled with the team as he suffered a Grade-1 quadriceps tear in his left leg during a 50-over-a-side practice match in Lahore.

The selection committee, in consultation with the team management, has replaced Saud with Asif Ali, who is already part of the T20I squad for the series in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

As Saud is also part of the two-Test squad against Zimbabwe, he has stayed back at the National High Performance Centre to complete his rehabilitation. If he regains fitness in time, then he will travel to Harare on April 12 along with other 10 members of the Test side.

Squads

T20I: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir

ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Qadir

Test: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tabish Khan and Zahid Mahmood

Players Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (Manager), Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Col (retd) Khalid Mahmood (security manager), Malang Ali (masseur), Raza Kitchlew (Digital and media manager), Dr Riaz Ahmed (team doctor), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Waqar Younis (bowling coach), Yasir Malik (strength & conditioning coach) and Younis Khan (batting coach).

Tour Schedule

April 2 - 1st ODI; SuperSport Park, Pretoria

April 4 - 2nd ODI; Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

April 7 - 3rd ODI; SuperSport Park, Pretoria

April 10 - 1st T20I; Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

April 12 - 2nd T20I; Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

April 14 - 3rd T20I; SuperSport Park, Pretoria

April 16 - 4th T20I; SuperSport Park, Pretoria