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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan handed a Test debut to 38-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi in the second Test against South Africa on Monday here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Afridi, who replaced fast bowler Hasan Ali in the playing XI, was preferred over Abrar Ahmed to bolster Pakistan’s spin attack alongside Noman Ali and Sajid Khan.
The hosts are fielding only one pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, in the second Test, reflecting a spin-heavy strategy on the Rawalpindi surface.
With his debut, Asif Afridi becomes Pakistan’s second-oldest Test debutant at 38 years and 299 days, making him the oldest to earn a Test cap for the country since Miran Baksh, who debuted at 47 back in 1955.
Having made his first-class debut in 2009, Afridi endured a long break before re-emerging in 2015 to establish himself as a consistent performer in domestic cricket.
Over 57 first-class matches, he has taken 198 wickets at an average of 25.49, alongside scoring 1,630 runs, including a century, underlining his value as a lower-order contributor.
For the visitors, South Africa welcomed back Keshav Maharaj, who missed the first Test due to injury, while Marco Jansen returned to the side as well, replacing Wiaan Mulder and Prenelan Subrayen.
READ: Azhar Mahmood wary of Maharaj threat ahead of second South Africa Test
