CENTURION: Pakistan face South Africa in the first of the three-match Test series at SuperSport Park in Centurion today.
Pakistan will be looking to bounce back after the setback against New Zealand in the recently concluded Test series in the United Arab Emirates. However, injury troubles plague the men in green with Mohammad Abbas being ruled out of the first Test with a shoulder injury along with spinner Shadab Khan.
In the absence of Abbas and Shadab, the trio of right-arm quick Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and veteran Mohammad Amir will be looking to light up the pitch with their bowling.
Batsman Haris Sohail is also an injury doubt for Pakistan, and may be replaced by Shan Masood. According to sources, Sohail is suffering a knee injury.
For South Africa, Dale Steyn will be at the forefront of the pace battery. Steyn needs just one more wicket to become his country’s leading wicket-taker. He currently shares the record of 421 wickets with former captain Shaun Pollock, who retired in 2008.
Proteas, however, have injury concerns of their own. They will be without Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi, who have been ruled out with injury.
The South African pace attack will be headed by Kagiso Rabada alongside Steyn.
The match between South Africa and Pakistan will start at 1pm Pakistan Standard Time.
Squads
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Duanne Olivier, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Dane Paterson
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain, wicketkeeper), Mohammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Sundaram Ravi (IND)
TV umpire: Joel Wilson (WIN)
Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
