T20 team to be named during first Test

LAHORE: Pakistan squad for the T20Is against South Africa is likely to be announced during the first Test which is scheduled to start from January 26 at National Stadium, Karachi.

Sources revealed that the selection committee is likely to include top performers of domestic cricket just like it did for the Test series.

Opener Fakhar Zaman may come back after missing the New Zealand tour. Sohaib Maqsood, Zeeshan Malik, Azam Khan, Zahid Mehmood and Sharjeel Khan are strong candidates to be named in the squad.

In-form Southern Punjab leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood is likely to replace Shadab Khan for the T20I series against South Africa. Mehmood is currently the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Pakistan Cup one-day tournament, with 13 wickets in seven games. He also claimed 12 wickets in nine games during the last edition of National T20 Cup.

Towards the end of December, last year, PCB had stated that Shadab, who was diagnosed with “high grade full thickness tear to the Rectus Femoris muscle”, would miss the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch and the home series against South Africa after being advised a six-week rest.