Sarfaraz 'wants to have a body like Faf du Plessis', Shadab says ahead of Pak vs SA Test

KARACHI: Pakistani batsman and former cricket team captain Sarfaraz Ahmed "wants to have a body like Faf du Plessis", all-rounder Shadab Khan said on Twitter on Sunday ahead of the much-anticipated Test match against South Africa.

Shadab, the young cricketer, shared his lighthearted joke with a video of the 33-year-old Sarfaraz working out before facing off South Africa coming Tuesday. Faf du Plessis said earlier this week he expected a "very tough" Pakistani side in the upcoming series in Karachi.

"He wants to have a body like [Faf Du Plessis]. Jub se Saifi bhai ne Faf ki woh tasveer dekhi hai, inka aim vesi body bnane ka ho gaya hai [Ever since Sarfaraz Ahmed has seen that picture of Faf, his aim is to achieve a body like his]," the 22-year-old all-rounder wrote on Twitter, using an endearing nickname for the former Pakistani captain.

The wicketkeeper-batsman is part of the 17-player squad announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that will face off 36-year-old Faf Du Plessis' team in a Test series set to start January 26 in Karachi.

Revised traffic plan for Karachi test

Pakistan's playing XI would be finalised by captain Babar Azam following consultations with the head coach. However, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam and Salman Ali Agha – who had been named in the 20-member initial squad – have been left out of the list of probables for the first Test match.

The Karachi Traffic Police earlier released a revised driving-and-road plan for the first Test match between South Africa and Pakistan at the port city's famed National Stadium from January 26-30.

According to the revised traffic plan issued on Saturday, several roads leading to the stadium would remain open for small traffic during the Test match.