Asif Afridi Debut Boosts Pakistan Spin Attack

Pakistan handed a Test debut to 38-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi for the second Test in Rawalpindi, making him the second-oldest Pakistan debutant; Afridi has 198 first-class wickets and had previously been suspended under the PCB’s anti-corruption code before the ban was lifted. The hosts backed a spin-heavy XI with Afridi joining Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi the lone frontline pacer, and coach Azhar Mahmood said Pakistan could have picked a third specialist spinner depending on the dry, turning surface and the need to post a big first-innings total. South Africa recalled experienced spinner Keshav Maharaj and brought in pacer Marco Jansen as they look to level the two-match series, with stand-in captain Aiden Markram highlighting Maharaj’s experience. Pakistan lead the series 1-0 after a 93-run win in Lahore where spinners dominated, and both sides now prepare for a tactical contest shaped by spin-friendly conditions and selection choices.