On Friday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 20-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa.
Babar Azam, who missed the red-ball matches on New Zealand tour due to injury, is fit to lead the side once again.
While addressing the media, PCB chief selector Mohammad Wasim said Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas and Haris Sohail have been dropped from the squad while Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah were not picked due to fitness problems.
The South African cricketers will land in Karachi on Saturday (January 16) for their first visit to Pakistan since 2007. They will also complete a five-day quarantine period at their hotel before beginning the training. Last week, Cricket South Africa had announced a strong Proteas squad for the tour with fast bowler Kagiso Rabada making a return after injury issues.
The first Test begins on January 26 in Karachi, followed by second on February 4 in Rawalpindi. The sides are then set to play three T20Is in Lahore to round off the tour.
Pakistan Test squad to South Africa series:
Openers: Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Imran Butt (Balochistan)
Middle-order batsmen: Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Saud Shakeel (Sindh)
All-rounders: Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern)
Wicketkeepers: Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh)
Spinners: Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Yasir Shah (Balochistan)
Fast bowlers: Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Tabish Khan (Sindh).
