• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Pakistan Squad For South Africa Test Series Set To Be Announced Next Week

Pakistan squad for South Africa Test series set to be announced next week

Jatin

South Africa are set to tour Pakistan [Source: @MidnightMusinng/x.com]South Africa are set to tour Pakistan [Source: @MidnightMusinng/x.com]

Pakistan cricket fans won’t have to play the guessing game for long as the squad for the much-anticipated home Test series against South Africa will be revealed next week, according to Geo News. With the Proteas set to land in Lahore in the first week of October, all eyes are now on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the men who will carry the green flag into a fresh World Test Championship cycle.

Pakistan will unveil its Test squad next week

The National Cricket Academy’s red-ball camp will wrap up on September 26, giving selectors a clearer picture of who is ticking the right boxes. From there, the focus will immediately shift to the squad’s official preparatory camp, which is likely to kick off on September 30.

As per the report, Pakistan are expected to roll out spin-friendly surfaces for the series, which means the selectors could lean heavily on their slow-bowling artillery. The think tank will also weigh up combinations for the long haul with the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle beginning from this series.

Historic return of Test cricket to Faisalabad

The buzz is bigger than just the squad announcement. This series is the return of international cricket to Faisalabad after 17 long years. The city last witnessed an ODI in April 2008 when Pakistan beat Bangladesh. 

Now, it is set to host the ODI leg of the tour, but the build-up starts with the red-ball battle. The historic flavour only adds more spice to what is already a marquee clash.

Pakistan vs South Africa schedule

  • First Test: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; October 12–16
  • Second Test – Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; October 20–24

For the record, South Africa haven’t played a Test series in Pakistan since January 2021, when the hosts walked away 2–0 winners. That memory is still fresh and Pakistan will fancy their chances again in familiar conditions.

Once the dust settles on the five-day games, both teams will lock horns in three T20 Internationals from October 28 to November 1. The white-ball caravan then moves to Faisalabad for three ODIs from November 4 to 8.