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Babar Azam In, Naseem Shah Dropped; Pakistan's Probable Squad For South Africa T20Is

Debashis Sarangi

Babar could return, Naseem might not be picked [Source: @memes0fpakistan/X, @TheRealPCB/X]Babar could return, Naseem might not be picked [Source: @memes0fpakistan/X, @TheRealPCB/X]

After facing Zimbabwe in three T20Is, Pakistan will take on South Africa in a six-match white-ball leg in their backyard. Led by Mohammad Rizwan, the Men in Green had a forgettable T20I series against Australia, conceding a three-nil victory to the hosts. However, they had an outstanding start to the ongoing Zimbabwe series, swatting aside the Chevrons by 57 runs. 

However, the South Africa series will pose a different challenge altogether for the Pakistani players, considering the hosts' resurgence as a formidable T20I outfit. So, given that South Africa are much stronger opponents than Zimbabwe, Pakistan will likely bring back their key players- Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and skipper Mohammad Rizwan- for this series. 

So, ahead of Pakistan's South Africa tour, let's see what could be their probable T20I squad for the three-match series. 

Rizwan To Lead, Babar To Return; No Place For Naseem Shah?

Mohammad Rizwan is expected to lead Pakistan in the South Africa T20Is. The reliable keeper-batter will likely open the batting alongside talismanic batter Babar Azam against the rainbow nation. Despite his modest performance on Australian soil, Babar Azam could get a final opportunity to showcase his mettle at the top order due to his huge reputation. 

Saim Ayub could be preferred over Sahibzada Farhan and Omair Yousuf for the third opener's slot. Having said that, Pakistan will likely choose one between Saim and Omair, whoever performs better in the remainder of the Zimbabwe series. 

Meanwhile, Naseem Shah will likely be dropped from T20Is following his prolonged rough patch in the shortest format. The star pacer was a pale shadow of himself in the Australia T20Is, scalping one wicket in two outings at a horrendous economy of 13.50. 

With Abbas Afridi rising as a reliable third seamer, Pakistan will likely neglect Naseem and pick the former as Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf's bowling partner in T20Is. On the other hand, Mohammad Hasnain and Aamir Jamal could be the reserve pacers in Pakistan's T20I setup for the tour. 

Sufyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed To Be Rewarded For Their Consistency

Sufyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed have been impressive with the ball in the ongoing Zimbabwe T20Is. So, they will likely be rewarded with a spot in Pakistan's squad for South Africa T20Is. Among others, Tayyab Tahir and Irfan Khan will likely be picked as middle-order batters alongside vice-captain Agha Salman, with Arafat Minhas retaining his place as a reserve batter. 

Pakistan's Probable Squad For South Africa T20Is

Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Agha Salman (VC), Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufyan Muqeem, Mohammad Hasnain, Saim Ayub, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Abrar Ahmed