JOHANNESBURG: South Africa named two uncapped fast bowlers in a 16-man squad for a two-match Test series against Pakistan starting in Centurion on December 26.
With an entire battery of fast bowlers unavailable, left-armer Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch were added to the team that beat Sri Lanka in Gqeberha this month.
Maphaka is an 18-year-old prodigy who has already been capped at Twenty20 international level while Bosch, the 30-year-old son of former Test fast bowler Tertius, has yet to play for the senior national team.
South Africa included all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and left-arm spin bowler Keshav Maharaj in the squad, but both selections are subject to fitness.
Mulder suffered a broken right middle finger in the first Test against Sri Lanka while Maharaj suffered what Cricket South Africa described as “an acute groin strain” while warming up for the first one-day international against Pakistan in Paarl on Tuesday.
Maharaj was due to have a scan on Wednesday to assess the severity of the injury.
Bosch, who has a first-class batting average above 40, could come into contention if Muller is unfit, while Senuran Muthusamy, also a left-armer, is the only other spin bowler in the squad if Maharaj is ruled out.
South Africa will be assured of a place in next year’s World Test Championship final if they win at least one Test against Pakistan — but their bowling resources have been seriously depleted.
Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee and Lizaad Williams have all been sidelined. It will be a blow if Maharaj, South Africa’s premier spin bowler, cannot play.
“We head into this series with a clear focus, with a spot in the World Test Championship final being the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” South African coach Shukri Conrad said in a CSA statement.
Squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne (wkt).
Fixtures:
December 26-30, Centurion
January 3-7, Cape Town
South Africa call up two uncapped fast bowlers for Pakistan Test series
https://arab.news/nqkdr
South Africa call up two uncapped fast bowlers for Pakistan Test series
- South Africa will be in next year’s World Test Championship final if they win one Test against Pakistan
- The Proteas are faced with serious depletion of bowling resources, with several injured players
Pakistan says Azerbaijan close to finalizing $2 billion investment deal
- Shehbaz Sharif discusses investment ties in meeting with Azerbaijani presidential envoy
- Deal builds on growing energy cooperation, including SOCAR’s footprint in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday Pakistan was close to finalizing a $2 billion investment agreement with Azerbaijan, as he met a senior representative of President Ilham Aliyev amid Islamabad’s push to attract foreign capital into key sectors.
Sharif made the remarks during a meeting with Khalaf Khalafov, Azerbaijan’s presidential representative on special assignments, at the Prime Minister’s Office, according to an official statement.
The talks come as Pakistan seeks large-scale foreign investment to shore up its economy and strengthen energy security, with Azerbaijan emerging as a key partner.
“Welcoming the Azerbaijani dignitary, the Prime Minister recalled the warm fraternal bonds between Pakistan and Azerbaijan and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to further strengthen bilateral relations with Azerbaijan, in all areas of mutual interest,” the statement said.
“While noting that both sides were close to finalizing the agreement for USD 2 billion investment by Azerbaijan in Pakistan, the Prime Minister reiterated his invitation to President Aliyev to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience,” it added.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s finance ministry said that Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR was set to finalize an investment in the country’s oil and gas sector following high-level engagements at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as Islamabad works to stabilize energy supply, reduce costs and improve contractual transparency.
SOCAR already operates in Pakistan through SOCAR Trading, which supplies up to one LNG cargo per month without take-or-pay obligations, giving Pakistan greater flexibility in managing demand and pricing.
Regional issues were also discussed during Friday’s meeting.
Khalafov thanked Pakistan for its diplomatic support during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — a brief but intense war between Azerbaijan and Armenia that ended with Baku regaining control of large parts of the disputed territory — and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s longstanding support for Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, the statement said.
Pakistan and Azerbaijan have expanded economic and strategic ties in recent years, including defense and security cooperation.
