Pakistan include uncapped Afridi, Akram and Nazir for upcoming South Africa Test series

Pakistan's players, (L-R) Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan, walk back to their fielding positions during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2022 cricket match between India and Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on October 23, 2022. (AFP/File)
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Updated 30 September 2025
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Pakistan include uncapped Afridi, Akram and Nazir for upcoming South Africa Test series

  • Pakistan will play two-Test match series against South Africa from oct. 12-24 in Lahore and Rawalpindi
  • Skipper Shan Masood to lead squad while Pakistan select stalwarts Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan for series

KARACHI: Pakistan have named three uncapped players Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram and Rohail Nazir for the upcoming South Africa Test series scheduled to take place later this month, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Tuesday. 

South Africa, champions of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, will take on Pakistan in the first Test at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore from Oct. 12-16. The second and final match of the two-Test series will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from Oct. 20-24.

Pakistan’s national selection committee announced the 18-member Test squad for the series, which will be part of the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. The PCB announced that the squad will be further trimmed ahead of the first Test. 

“Shan Masood will continue to lead the side, while three uncapped players – Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram and Rohail Nazir have also been included,” the PCB said in a statement. 

The squad includes Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, former Pakistan captain Babar Azam, Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. 

The two-Test match series will be followed by three T20Is and as many ODIs, to be played from Oct. 28 to Nov. 8. The squad for the white-ball series will be announced in due course.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Oct. 12-16– First Test at Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Oct. 20-24 – Second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Oct. 28– First T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Oct.31 – Second T20I at Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Nov. 1 – Third T20I at Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Nov. 4 – First ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Nov. 6– Second ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Nov. 8 – Third ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Pakistan will look to begin their World Test Championship 2025-27 on a winning note against South Africa and put behind their five-wicket loss to India in the Asia Cup 2025 tournament. 


Teenager Flagg to fore as Mavericks upset Pistons in overtime 116-114

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Teenager Flagg to fore as Mavericks upset Pistons in overtime 116-114

  • The 18-year-old Flagg finished with 10 rebounds, four assists, a steal and three blocks on a night when six Mavs players finished in double figures
  • In Indiana, Jalen Brunson nailed a three-pointer with four seconds remaining to give the New York Knicks a 114-113 victory over the Pacers in a rematch of last season’s NBA Eastern Conference finals
  • Oklahoma City Thunder shook off the disappointment of their NBA Cup semifinal loss to rally past the struggling Los Angeles Clippers 122-101

LOS ANGELES: Cooper Flagg scored 23 points as the Dallas Mavericks dug deep to upset the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons 116-114 in a bruising overtime battle on Thursday.

No. 1 draft pick Flagg excelled at both ends of the court to help the Mavs clinch a morale-boosting victory that sees them improve to 11-17 for the season.

The 18-year-old Flagg finished with 10 rebounds, four assists, a steal and three blocks on a night when six Mavs players finished in double figures.

Cade Cunningham led the Detroit scoring with 29 points as the Pistons fell to just their sixth defeat of the season.

“They’re a great team, with great players, but we stuck with it,” Flagg said.

“We competed. We had the lead, they came back but we just stayed consistent and kept fighting.”

In Indiana, Jalen Brunson nailed a three-pointer with four seconds remaining to give the New York Knicks a 114-113 victory over the Pacers in a rematch of last season’s NBA Eastern Conference finals.

The Knicks appeared to be suffering a hangover from Tuesday’s NBA Cup final win over San Antonio as Indiana sprinted into a 35-25 lead after the first quarter before opening up a 16-point advantage in the third.

But a fourth quarter rally saw New York claw their way back into the lead in the final seconds, with Brunson nailing a 27-footer from outside the arc to clinch victory.

Brunson finished with 25 points while Mikal Bridges added 22. Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers scorers with 31 points.

Brunson was unimpressed with his personal contribution, instead singling out Tyler Kolek for praise.

Kolek finished with 16 points off the bench with 11 assists and six rebounds.

“I was garbage, start of the game,” Brunson said.

“Then my stint in the second half, I was garbage as well. I want to thank the lord for Tyler Kolek for playing the way he’s playing and saving me.”

Oklahoma City Thunder shook off the disappointment of their NBA Cup semifinal loss to rally past the struggling Los Angeles Clippers 122-101.

The Clippers led by 11 in the first quarter but the NBA champions came roaring back in the second and third to cruise to victory against a Los Angeles lineup that gave away 28 turnovers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City’s scoring with 32 points, Chet Holmgren added 22.

The Thunder improved to 25-2 for the season and remain firmly in control at the top of the Western Conference, 4.5 games clear of the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets improved to 20-6 with a 126-115 defeat of the Orlando Magic. Nikola Jokic posted a triple double for Denver with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.