Pakistan vs South Africa 2025 — Full Series Preview, Squads & What to Watch
This comprehensive preview covers the full Pakistan vs South Africa 2025 tour: confirmed fixtures and venues (including Faisalabad), Test and white-ball squads, key returnees & absentees, tactical matchups, pitch notes and predictions.
Quick facts
- Tour format: 2 Tests • 3 T20Is • 3 ODIs.
- Test series (WTC 2025–27 cycle) opens on 12 October 2025.
- Venues for the tour: Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad (ODIs are at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad).
Confirmed schedule & venues
| Match | Venue | Dates (local) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 12–16 October 2025 |
| 2nd Test | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi | 20–24 October 2025 |
| 1st T20I | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi | 28 October 2025 |
| 2nd T20I | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 31 October 2025 |
| 3rd T20I | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 1 November 2025 |
| 1st ODI | Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad | 4 November 2025 |
| 2nd ODI | Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad | 6 November 2025 |
| 3rd ODI | Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad | 8 November 2025 |
(Fixtures & venues confirmed by ICC / official boards.)
Pakistan — Test squad (announced)
PCB initially named an 18-member Test squad (later trimmed to a final group ahead of the first Test). The selection contains a mix of experience and fresh faces — notable inclusions and recalls are listed below.
Pakistan — 18-member squad (as announced)
- Shan Masood (captain)
- Babar Azam
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Kamran Ghulam
- Salman Ali Agha
- Saud Shakeel
- Rohail Nazir (wk)
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Hasan Ali
- Noman Ali
- Aamir Jamal
- Khurram Shahzad
- Abrar Ahmed
- Sajid Khan
- Asif Afridi
- Faisal Akram
PCB announced this 18-player group; the selectors later trimmed the squad to 16 before the first Test. Final playing XIs will be confirmed by the match-day selection.
South Africa — squads & leadership
South Africa named distinct squads and leadership across formats: Aiden Markram will lead the Tests (Temba Bavuma is out injured), Matthew Breetzke is set to captain the ODI side, and David Miller will captain the T20I side. Quinton de Kock reversed his ODI retirement and returns for the white-ball leg.
Proteas — Test squad (selected highlights)
- Aiden Markram (captain, Tests)
- Kagiso Rabada
- Marco Jansen
- Simon Harmer
- Wiaan Mulder
- Ryan Rickelton (wk)
- Tristan Stubbs
- Keshav Maharaj (available for 2nd Test)
- Senuran Muthusamy
- Corbin Bosch
- David Bedingham
Full CSA press release lists the complete squads for Tests, ODIs and T20Is (white-ball squads include Quinton de Kock, Matthew Breetzke, David Miller among others).
Key returns, absentees & selection notes
- Shaheen Shah Afridi — recalled to Pakistan’s Test group: major boost to pace battery if fit and managed.
- Quinton de Kock — reversed ODI retirement and returns for South Africa’s white-ball leg (boost for Proteas’ top order).
- Temba Bavuma — ruled out of the Tests with a calf strain; Aiden Markram to lead the Test side in his absence.
- Spin emphasis (Pakistan) — Pakistan picked several specialist spinners in the larger squad to exploit home turning wickets; South Africa have added experienced spinners (e.g., Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj availability) to counter that.
- Workload management — both boards indicated rotation for white-ball formats; expect different XIs across formats.
Venues & pitch expectations (brief)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: early seam movement may help pacers; spinners come into play as match wears on.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium: variable bounce and assistance for seam early; spinners can benefit from rough and reverse-swing later.
Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: hosting the three ODIs — generally batting-friendly for white-ball cricket but can offer turn to spinners if prepared accordingly.
Player matchups & things to watch
- Shaheen Afridi vs Proteas top order — crucial early battle in Tests.
- Pakistan spinners vs South Africa’s middle order — controlling the middle overs and collecting wickets.
- Captaincy & declarations — Markram (Proteas) vs Shan Masood (Pakistan) tactical battle in Tests.
- Quinton de Kock’s return — will he anchor the Proteas white-ball batting?
Prediction (short)
On paper a closely contested series: Pakistan are favorites at home if their spinners dominate and the top order gives solid starts. South Africa have pace and batting depth to cause trouble if they adapt quickly to spin and variable bounce.
How to watch & tickets
Check official PCB and broadcaster pages for live TV and streaming rights in your region. Tickets for Pakistan home matches are sold via PCB/venue portals — expect Faisalabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi matches to be popular.
Sources
Pakistan Cricket Board — squad press release (PCB announcement).
Cricket South Africa — Proteas squads press release.
ICC / ESPNcricinfo — fixtures and venues (Tests, T20Is, ODIs).
Reuters coverage — squad news, injuries and captaincy updates.
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