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Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood and South Africa’s leader Aiden Markram revealed the trophy for the upcoming two-Test match series on Saturday. The event took place at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, and Markram also visited the academy’s museum, where Shan Masood showed him different historical trophies and keepsakes.

Both team leaders expressed their enthusiasm before the highly awaited series, with the trophy presentation marking the official beginning of the contest. Pakistan will face South Africa in the opening Test match starting on October 12 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, followed by the second Test in Rawalpindi from October 20 to 24.

The series signifies the start of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle for Pakistan, whereas South Africa arrives as the champions from the prior WTC cycle (2023-25). This will be the first instance since the WTC began in 2019 that Pakistan will kick off a campaign on home soil. Previously, their WTC campaigns started abroad — in Australia (2019-21), the West Indies (2021-23), and Sri Lanka (2023-25).

Throughout history, Pakistan and South Africa have competed in 30 Test matches, with South Africa securing 17 victories, Pakistan winning six, and seven matches resulting in a draw. Among the 13 Tests held in Pakistan and the UAE, Pakistan holds a slight advantage with four wins compared to South Africa’s three, while six matches ended in a draw. In World Test Championship games, both teams have each won two matches.

South Africa’s most recent visit to Pakistan was in 2021, during which the home team won the series 2-0. Among the present players, Babar Azam has accumulated 315 runs in four Test matches against South Africa (including four half-centuries), Mohammad Rizwan has scored 283 runs (with one century), and Hasan Ali has taken 12 wickets in two WTC games against them. All three are included in Pakistan’s 16-player team for this series.

Speaking with PCB Digital, captain Shan Masood stated:

Our primary objective is consistently to claim the championship, yet a strong beginning is essential. Encountering the reigning champions on our home ground presents a valuable chance to assess our capabilities against the top teams. Clubs that perform well in home matches typically progress far in the Championship, making it important for us to discover our winning strategy from the outset.

South African captain Aiden Markram shared the same excitement, stating:

It marks an exhilarating beginning of the new series. Competing in Pakistan will present a distinctive challenge for us, yet we are eagerly anticipating it. We will evaluate the conditions at an early stage and develop effective strategies to adjust and excel.

Pakistan’s 16-member squad:

Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Schedule:

First Test: October 12-16, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Second Test: October 20-24, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

White-ball series: October 28 to November 8 (3 T20 matches, 3 One-Day Internationals)

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).