Pakistan Recall Babar Azam and Opt for Four Pacers for Centurion Test

Pakistan will be taking on South Africa in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion without a specialist spinner in their bowling attack. Instead, seam-bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal will be joined by Naseem Shah, Mohammad Abbas, and Khurram Shahzad. Abdullah Shafique has been dropped from the team due to his poor form across all formats, including three successive ducks in the ODI series. Kamran Ghulam has been given the opportunity to retain his place in the squad. Babar Azam, who was left out of the last two Tests against England, will be making his return to the XI and is expected to bat at No. 3. This rearrangement has pushed captain Shan Masood to the opening position alongside Saim Ayub.

The bowling attack sees the return of Abbas more than three years after he last played a Test match, while Shahzad returns after a recurring rib injury that first ruled him out for several months after the first Test in Perth last December, and then again after the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi in September. Naseem was released from the squad partway through the home series against England, meaning allrounder Jamal is the only bowler who also played Pakistan's most recent Test match.

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"Since the Australia series, we've backed Aamer Jamal, even in spin conditions," Pakistan captain Masood had said earlier in the day at the press conference. "He occupied the No. 8 slot and made it his own. There are different aspects to his bowling; he's not one-dimensional. He's handy when it reverses and useful at being the enforcer, and he's equally skillful with the new ball. He's also impressed everyone with the bat, especially that innings in Sydney and a couple of innings in Multan. The best sides in the world have players at Nos. 7 and 8 who are allrounders, and who allow you to play specialist bowlers."

Meanwhile, Pakistan's patience finally ran out with Shafique, who has struggled for form across formats for more than a year. Aside from his most recent horror ODI series, he has had a torrid 2024 in the longest format, too, averaging just over 15 in 12 innings. More than half of his 174 runs during this period came in one innings in Multan on a surface so placid, England registered the fourth-highest total in Test history in the second innings. In his other 11 innings, he reached double figures just twice.

Pakistan had delayed announcing their final XI, with South African captain Temba Bavuma making his side public a full 24 hours earlier. With rain around, and forecast for parts of the Test match, the visitors had mulled over whether to opt for the security of a spinner as opposed to going in all-pace, but on a Centurion wicket that players from both sides acknowledged, looks exceptionally seam-friendly, that option was considered surplus to requirements. They do have the option of Salman Agha, who bowls offspin, and Saud Shakeel's part-time left-arm spin.

"Batting and seam bowling will be key elements to both lineups," Masood said. "Both teams go in with the same ideas. South Africa have four seamers, and Corbin Bosch at No. 9, who's an allrounder. You've got to trust the seamers to do well, given how the pitch is looking."

Pakistan XI: 1 Shan Masood (capt), 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Kamran Ghulam, 5 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 6 Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), 7 Salman Agha, 8 Aamer Jamal, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Khurram Shahzad, 11 Mohammad Abbas