LAHORE: Pakistan cricket selectors today confirmed a 17-player squad who will be available for selection for the first Test against South Africa, which will begin on January 26.

The remaining three players will continue to be part of the squad and will feature in warm-up and training sessions at the National Stadium, said a spokesman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The playing line-up with now be finalised by the captain in consultation with the head coach.

The 17-player squad is:

Openers – Abid Ali (Central Punjab) and Imran Butt (Balochistan)Middle-order batsmen – Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh) and Saud Shakeel (Sindh)

All-rounders – Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab) and Mohammad Nawaz (Northern)

Wicketkeepers – Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh)

Spinners – Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Yasir Shah (Balochistan)

Fast bowlers – Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Tabish Khan (Sindh).