The Pakistan cricket team's management and selection committee has planned to field seven batters in the first Test against South Africa.

 

Captain Shan Masood will open the innings along with in-form Saim Ayub on Thursday at the Super Sports Park Centurion.

 

Former Test captain Babar Azam, who was dropped from the second and third Tests against England in October this year, is once again being included to the team in place of out-of-form Abdullah Shafique.

 

In the first Test against South Africa, Babar will play at number 3, Kamran Ghulam at number 4 and vice-captain Saud Shakeel at number 5.

 

ODI and T20 skipper, wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan, will bat at number 6.

 

In addition, batting all-rounder Salman Ali Agha will come to bat at number 7.

 

Earlier, Pakistan has whitewashed South Africa in a three-match ODI series after defeating Protease by 36 runs in the third and last ODI of the series.

 

The match being played in Johannesburg was delayed due to rain. When the toss was held after the rain stopped, the South African captain won the toss and invited the visiting team to bat. After the match started, the game had to be stopped again due to rain and three overs were reduced.

Batting first, the national team scored 308 runs for nine wickets in the stipulated 47 overs, thanks to Saim Ayub's brilliant century. Pakistan fell one run short due to the delayed start of the innings, and South Africa got a target of 308 runs.

Opener Saim Ayub played an innings of 101 runs; Saim Ayub scored a century in 91 balls, and his innings included 13 fours and two sixes.

Apart from them, captain Muhammad Rizwan scored 53, Babar Azam scored 52 runs, vice-captain Salman Agha scored 48, and Tayyab Tahir scored 28 runs.

For the host team, Rabada took three wickets, while Marco Jensen and Fortuion took two wickets each.

 

In response, South Africa could score 271 runs in 42 overs.

 

Tony de Zorzi scored 26,  Rassie Van Der Dussen 35, Aiden Markram 19, Heinrich Klassen 86, Marco Jansen 26 and Corbin Bosch scored 40 runs for South Africa.

 

Sufiyan Muqeem took four, while Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi took two wickets each for Pakistan.