Asif Afridi Debuts as Pakistan Hosts South Africa in Second Test

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Asif Afridi, a 38-year-old spinner, made his Test debut for Pakistan against South Africa on October 20, 2025. The match is the second of a two-Test series, with Pakistan having won the first Test by 94 runs in Lahore.

Afridi was given the opportunity after serving a ban for violating the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) anti-corruption regulations. He had faced a two-year suspension for his involvement in spot-fixing in domestic cricket but was allowed to return after just over a year. The PCB has not provided any details regarding the decision to reduce Afridi’s suspension.

This is Afridi’s first international appearance, following his first-class debut in January 2009, during which he claimed 198 wickets in 57 matches. In addition, he has recorded 83 wickets in List A matches and 78 wickets in T20 games. For this Test, he will line up with fellow left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who had a remarkable performance in the first Test with a 10-wicket haul.

Pakistan opted to field just one fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi, who bowled limited overs in the previous match, offering five overs in the first innings and 8.5 in the second. South Africa welcomed back left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for this encounter, having missed the first Test due to fitness concerns. The visitors also included tall left-arm pacer Marco Jansen and left out Wiaan Mulder and Prenelan Subrayen.

By the end of tea on the first day, Pakistan was at 177/3 after 62 overs, with captain Shan Masood remaining unbeaten on 77 runs. Opener Abdullah Shafique contributed 57 runs before being dismissed by Simon Harmer. Former captain Babar Azam‘s struggles continued as he was caught by Toni de Zorzi, scoring only 16 runs in 22 balls. He has not recorded a Test century since December 2022.