South Africa set to tour of Pakistan next month

This will be first South Africa tour of Pakistan in four years. Photo: AFP/File

KARACHI:

After more than four years, the South African cricket team is expected to play Test matches in Pakistan, with the series likely to begin on October 12. The tour will feature 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20Is, and the proposed schedule has come to light.

According to details, ahead of the men’s and women’s teams’ tours of Pakistan, a South African delegation is currently in the country to review arrangements. The PCB has prepared the proposed schedule for the men’s series, which will be released once South Africa gives its approval.

As per sources, the first Test will be played from October 12 to 16 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, while the second Test will be hosted by Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from October 20 to 24. 

The ODI series will also begin at the same venue on October 28, with the other two ODIs scheduled for October 31 and November 2 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. If approved, this will mark the return of international cricket to the city after a long gap.

The T20I series is scheduled to start on November 5, with the proposed venue being Multan. The next two T20Is, on November 8 and 9, are planned for Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. 

However, since the South African delegation did not visit Multan during its trip, hosting a match there might be difficult. The schedule is not final yet and will only be confirmed after discussions between both boards, meaning dates and venues could still change.

Earlier this month, the South African women’s team is also scheduled to play three T20Is in Pakistan. It is worth recalling that the Proteas last toured Pakistan in January–February 2021 under the captaincy of Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen where they lost both Tests and also went down 2–1 in the T20I series. 

Later, in March this year, South Africa was knocked out by New Zealand in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy.^[1]

Previously, in May, the PCB had announced that the first two T20Is against Bangladesh would be played in Faisalabad, marking the return of international cricket to Iqbal Stadium after 17 years. However, due to the rescheduling of PSL matches, the three-match series was eventually held entirely in Lahore.

Haider Ali cleared 

Pakistan’s cricketer, Haider Ali, has been cleared in an alleged rape case after the Greater Manchester Police determined that there were not enough evidence against the emerging batter to back up the allegations levelled by a British-Pakistani girl, local media reported on Wednesday.

Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sources confirmed to Geo News exclusively that the case against Ali has been closed due to insufficient evidence to support the allegations.

Ali was represented by criminal law expert Barrister Moeen Khan.

The batter had been under investigation after a British-Pakistani woman accused him of raping her at a Manchester hotel. Police received the report on August 4 and arrested the 24-year-old cricketer the same day.

The woman told police she first met Ali on July 23, 2025, at a Manchester hotel where the alleged incident took place. She said they met again on August 1 in Ashford, about four hours by train from Manchester.

She filed her complaint four days later — around two weeks after the first meeting.

During his police interview, Ali denied the rape allegation. He told investigators that he knew the woman well and that they were friends, adding that the accusation came as a shock to him.

Ali was arrested at the Spitfire County Cricket Ground in Kent, from the players’ canteen, and taken to Canterbury Police Station by Kent Police officers.