LAHORE: Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first as they kicked off their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 campaign with the opening match of the two-Test series against defending champions South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
South Africa will tour Pakistan for series in all formats of the game. The first Test will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from October 12 to 16, while the second Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from October 20 to 24.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood said at the toss that the team will try to make full use of the home conditions in the series opener. South African captain Aiden Markram said his team is well prepared to face Pakistan after previously playing cricket in similar conditions.
Playing XIs
Pakistan
Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.
South Africa
Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne (wicketkeeper), Prenelan Subrayen, Kagiso Rabada and Simon Harmer.
Pakistan’s matches for WTC 2025-27
The WTC is a biennial tournament for men’s Test cricket and the champions of the event are awarded the prestigious Test Mace. The championship format involves nine top teams competing over a two-year cycle.
Each team plays six series (three home, three away), with each series lasting between two and five Test matches. At the end of the competition phase, the top two teams will advance to a final to determine the champion.
Over the next two years, Pakistan will play thirteen Test matches (including two against South Africa) in three home and as many away matches.
Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in a two-match away series in March 2026, followed by two Tests in the West Indies in July.
Pakistan will tour England for a three-Test series in August and September next, while the national team will host Sri Lanka for a two-Test series in November 2026.
Pakistan concludes its competitive phase with a two-match home series against New Zealand in March 2027.
