Lahore: Pakistan’s premier batter Babar Azam has been named in an 11-player red-ball training camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), set to begin on Tuesday, ahead of the upcoming home Tests against South Africa.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Saturday that the selected players will report on Monday. The camp will run until September 28 under the guidance of interim red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood, alongside NCA coaches and support staff. The squad includes Babar, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Raza, Azan Awais, Kamran Ghulam, and other promising talents.
“The camp is designed to help players refine their skills and assess fitness ahead of a busy red-ball international and domestic season. The selected players are those not currently involved in the ongoing Hanif Mohammad Trophy (four-day). Over the 20-day camp, participants will train at the NCA and engage in scenario-based matches,” the PCB stated.
Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and star pacer Naseem Shah are unavailable due to their commitments in the 2025 Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Pakistan will face South Africa in two Tests, with the first scheduled in Lahore from October 12, followed by the second in Rawalpindi from October 20. These matches will also mark the start of the Pakistan World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–2027 cycle.
Babar’s inclusion signals that he remains a key part of Pakistan’s Test plans, despite being dropped from the T20I setup and omitted from the Asia Cup squad, a decision that drew mixed reactions from former Pakistan cricketing icons. His last red-ball appearance came earlier this year during Pakistan’s historic 120-run defeat to the West Indies in Multan, where he scored 1(5) in his first innings and 31(67) in the second before being dismissed.
Players selected for the NCA camp: Abdullah Shafique, Ali Raza, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Salman, Rohail Nazir, Sajid Khan, and Shamyl Hussain.
