Fakhar and Imam ready to join Pakistan team for South Africa tour

The Pakistan cricket team is to make two notable changes to its white-ball squad ahead of its forthcoming tour of South Africa, scheduled for December. The series will comprise three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests, the latter being part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

Media reports suggest that left-handed duo Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq will be reintroduced into the Pakistan team for the white-ball portion of the tour. Having both been absent from the national team for some time, their return should strengthen the squad.

The absence of Fakhar Zaman from recent internationals follows a controversial incident in which he expressed his support for Babar Azam, who was left out of Pakistan’s squad for the second and third Tests against England. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took disciplinary action over Fakhar’s tweet, including issuing a formal notice.

Fakhar has therefore been dropped from the ongoing series against Australia and excluded from the recently announced central contract. But as Pakistan now prepare for the series against South Africa, it appears that relations between Fakhar and the PCB have improved, paving the way for his return to the team.

Also expected to make a return is Imam-ul-Haq, who has an excellent ODI record with an average of 48.27. The 27-year old left-handed opener last played in the 50-over format during Pakistan’s match against South Africa in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Imam has been a key part of the Pakistan team and his return should add to the team’s strength in the long format.

A busy tour of South Africa will begin for the Pakistan team, starting with a T20I series. The three-match T20I series will be played in Durban, Centurion and Johannesburg from December 10-14. This will be followed by an ODI series in Paarl, Cape Town and Johannesburg from 17 to 22 December. The Test series, part of the World Test Championship cycle, will run from 26 to 30 December in Centurion and from 3 to 7 January in Cape Town.