PAK vs SA | Pakistan axe Mohammad Abbas and Shan Masood for Tests; Hasan Ali gets recall

While Pakistan’s injury-marred outing against New Zealand saw quite a few players put their hand up in times of adversity, it also witnessed the fall from grace of multiple veterans, notably the trio of Mohammad Abbas, Shan Masood and Haris Sohail. While Masood and Sohail averaged an appalling 2.50 and 7.00 with the bat, respectively, Abbas endured a torrid time with the ball, averaging 45.00 on wickets that were conducive for seam bowling. The trio, therefore, came under heavy criticism for their no-show, but in what has come as an aggressive yet unprecedented move, the Pakistan selectors have swung the axe on all the three veterans for the South Africa Tests. 

What has come as news arguably more sensational than the axing of the aforementioned trio, however, has been the recall of forgotten pacer Hasan Ali. The 26-year-old pacer, who last played a Test two years ago, impressed with both bat and ball in the 2020/21 Quaid-e-Azam trophy - averaging 20 with the ball and 25 with the bat - and as a result has received a deserved callup. Ali notably was in the headlines recently for his performance in the final of the QeA trophy, where he incredibly struck an unbeaten 106* (61) in the fourth innings to tie the game for his side Central Punjab. 

Skipper Babar Azam returns to the setup after missing the New Zealand series with a fractured thumb, while the duo of Abid Ali and Fawad Alam also keep their places owing to promising showings in New Zealand. Who will partner Abid, however, still remains a mystery, and Wasim claimed that a spot at the top of the order, in Masood’s absence, is there for the taking.

"Shan's bad form has opened doors for Abid Ali's new partner, be it either Abdullah Shafique or Imran Butt, who was last season's top scorer. Together with Abdullah, he was in New Zealand with the Shaheens side. Kamran Ghulam (1,249 runs), Saud Shakeel (970 runs) and Salman Ali Agha (941 runs) walk into the middle-order to support Azhar Ali, Babar Azam and Fawad Alam. This is a formidable and highly skilled middle-order, which will encourage a further healthy competition for a permanent place in the side."

Pakistan squad: Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Imran Butt, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Fawad Alam, Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Yasir Shah, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tabish Khan