Proteas touchdown in Karachi

Karachi: The Proteas squad led by Quinton de Kock arrived here on Saturday to play two Tests and three T20Is for the first time in 14 years.

The two-match series between Pakistan and South Africa will start in Karachi from January 26 while the T20 series will begin from February 11.

"Touchdown Karachi! South Africa #Proteas #SeeUsOnThePitch," Cricket South Africa tweeted.

The Proteas squad has cleared COVID-19 tests before they left South Africa and will be further undergoing tests post arrival.

CSA on Friday said that Marco Jansen has replaced OttnielBaartman, who has been ruled out "due to medical reasons of a separate nature."

Meanwhile, Aleem Dar will be officiating in his first-ever Test at home, while on-field umpire AhsanRaza and match referee Mohammad Javed Malik will also make their Test debuts as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on behalf of the International Cricket Council (ICC), on Saturday confirmed match officials for the Test series.

Elite panelist Aleem Dar has umpired in a record 132 Tests since making his debut in 2003 in Dhaka, while Ahsan part of the international panel has umpired in 37 ODIs and 57 T20Is to date. Javed Malik, a former first-class cricketer and a member of the ICC's international panel, has refereed in 10 ODIs and six T20Is.

Commenting on the appointment, Aleem Dar said: "It will definitely be an emotional moment for me to umpire in a Test involving Pakistan. It has been nearly a 17-year and 132-Test wait, but it's about to be over. Like the players, the match officials also want to umpire in matches on home ground, something we achieve in white-ball cricket, but Test cricket remains the pinnacle format and I am delighted that I will be standing in the two Tests between two excellent sides." Agencies

Also Read: India 62/2 after rain washes out 3rd session