Pakistan's wicket keeper Umar Akmal (C) celebrates after taking a catch of South African player CA Ingram (R) during the first one-day in Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on October 30, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
The Pakistan cricket team will go for the South Africa Tour to Johannesburg on November 18, Express News reported.
The team will go for the tour directly from Dubai.
The match schedule was announced saying that there will be two Twenty20 matches and three One Day Internationals.
Pakistan also recalled veteran allrounders Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik for the team's two Twenty20 internationals against South Africa in Dubai next week.
Razzaq, 33, made a comeback exactly after a year, having last played in the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
Former captain Malik, 31, returns to the national team since being dropped after the Champions Trophy in England this year.
Dubai hosts the Twenty20 matches on Nov 13 and 15.
‘South Africa tour still a possibility’
It was learnt that Najam Sethi, after regaining powers, immediately started working as an interim Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.
His first priority is to resume correspondence with Cricket South Africa (CSA) in an attempt to revive the chance of a return tour that was scrapped after his suspension.
The CSA had offered the PCB $1.5 million to host Pakistan in the second-half of this month for a One-Day-International and Twenty20 series.
“Talks have been revived and the CSA has given a positive response,” an official had told The Express Tribune.
“A minor change can be made in the schedule while the PCB might be forced to settle for a smaller amount compared to the one promised earlier.”
He had said the decision regarding the tour was expected in a couple of days.
Meanwhile, the official had added that the decision on the renewal of the selection committee’s contract will be taken shortly so that the Twenty20 squad against South Africa (taking place November 13 and 15) is announced immediately.
“The selectors might get a fresh contract today after which the team will be announced.”
However, renewal of contracts for the rest of PCB employees may take time.
“The names will be evaluated after which fresh contracts will be offered. It is not necessary that all the employees will be retained.”
Another official had confirmed that the employees whose contracts ended on October 31 were not in attendance yesterday after being conveyed of their contract’s expiry.
He had added that the role of other members remains to be seen after the restoration of the Interim Management Committee (IMC).
The IMC, led by Sethi also includes former PCB chairman Shahryar Khan, former cricketers Zaheer Abbas and Haroon Rasheed besides former team manager Naved Cheema.
Correction: An earlier version of the story stated that the Pakistani team will leave for South Africa on November 8. The error is regretted.
COMMENTS (19)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Comming back of Abdual razaaq is a good sign for the team.This is a humble request to every1 to plz send back Wahab riaz n Umer amin back to home. N give the chance to Abdual razaq as much as possible till 2015world cup
@Asif: Exactly. How is possible for team Pakistan to leave for SA on Nov, 08 when their ongoing series is scheduled to last till Nov, 15? Does ET confirms the news before publishing it on website? By the this is the schedule of series as displayed by cricinfo. 1st T20, Nov 20, Johannesburg 2nd T20, Nov 22, Cape Town 1st ODI, Nov 24, Cape Town 2nd ODI, Nov 27, Port Elizabeth 3rd ODI, Nov 30, Centurion
I'm getting bored of this thing called South Africa. We should invite teams like Zimbabwe and Ireland to UAE and play tri nation tournament to try few youngsters in these matches. Tri nation tournament is better option than this crap of five or three ODI serious.
The SA tour starts on November 18 not November 8. We have last T20 scheduled in UAE on Nov 15. @ ET Please make the correction.
Its 18th not 8th stupid reporting.
*18 November not 8 November.
It can't be. Pak vs SA tour in UAE is ending on 15 Nov. How can they leave before that.
I can predict now that Pakistan cricket tean will lost the game in SA..
South Africa South Africa South Africa.. man I'm fed up of this! When'll we play Australia? New Zealand tour is due as well... what's the obsession with South Africa!?
CSA and PCB are killing it now. I know it will help PCB and CSA earn some bucks but what effect it would have on players who will then rush to Sri-Lanka series.