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Pakistan Players To Fine-Tune Red-Ball Game In Intense Pre-Season Camp Before South Africa Tests

Soumyajit Dutta

Pakistan Test team [Source: @Rayhamunplugged/X.com]Pakistan Test team [Source: @Rayhamunplugged/X.com]

Pakistan's red-ball squad will begin preparations for their upcoming World Test Championship campaign with a pre-season training camp in Lahore starting September 8. The camp, focusing on the two-Test home series against South Africa, will run for approximately three weeks under the guidance of red-ball coach Azhar Mahmood.

With several Test regulars currently participating in the domestic Hanif Mohammad Trophy, around 10 to 12 available players are expected to attend the initial sessions. This series marks Pakistan's first entry into the new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle.

Pakistan Extend Prep Till September End

The prep for the South Africa Test challenge is in full swing as the training camp for the available potential Test players is likely to run until September 28, sources told Geo News.

Notably, the Proteas' all-format tour next month will commence with the Test matches, the first beginning in Lahore on October 12, followed by the second Test in Rawalpindi starting October 20. The series also includes three ODIs and three T20Is.

Pakistan have faced South Africa 30 times in the red-ball format and out of all those encounters, the Proteas have emerged as dominators with 17 wins in their favour. Pakistan managed 6 wins against them, while 7 matches ended in a draw.

White-Ball Focus in the Immediate Future

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s immediate focus remains on white-ball cricket. The Men in Green are currently competing in a Tri-Nation T20I series featuring Afghanistan and the UAE, before shifting their attention to the Asia Cup 2025, starting September 9.

The Asia Cup curtain-raiser will feature Afghanistan against Hong Kong, while Pakistan will open their campaign against Oman on September 12. The much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals India is scheduled for September 14, followed by a group-stage encounter against hosts UAE on September 17.