<p>South Africa will tour Pakistan next month for the first time in 13 years to play two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals, officials confirmed on Wednesday.</p>.<p>The five-day matches will be part of the ICC World Test Championship and will be staged in Karachi (Jan. 26-30) and Rawalpindi (Feb. 4-8), before T20 fixtures at the same venues and Lahore, ending on Feb. 14.</p>.<p>International cricket has returned to Pakistan in the past 15 months following a militant attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.</p>.<p>The country has hosted Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe since September 2019, while England recently announced a short two-match 20-over series in October next year in the build-up to the T20 World Cup in India.</p>.<p>"It’s pleasing to see so many countries making a return to Pakistan – a proud, cricket-loving nation," said Graeme Smith, South Africa’s Director of Cricket, in a statement.</p>.<p>"I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the hospitality and transparency they showed our security contingent when they travelled over there a few weeks ago.</p>.<p>"The report on their findings and recommendations gives us confidence as an organisation that all of our team’s security, playing and accommodation needs will be met, and that the well-being of the team will be the top priority."</p>.<p>Pakistan captain Babar Azam said that aside from the thrill of playing at home, the tour will also be a chance for his side to test their progress across the two formats.</p>.<p>"I am delighted that South Africa have confirmed their tour to Pakistan and look forward to captaining my country for the first time in a home Test," said Azam in a media release from the PCB.</p>.<p>"Looking at the calendar of international cricket in 2021, I am pleased that we are playing more against the sides that are ranked above us," said Azam. "This is critical for not only our learning and development but also as an opportunity to improve our rankings across all formats."</p>
<p>South Africa will tour Pakistan next month for the first time in 13 years to play two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals, officials confirmed on Wednesday.</p>.<p>The five-day matches will be part of the ICC World Test Championship and will be staged in Karachi (Jan. 26-30) and Rawalpindi (Feb. 4-8), before T20 fixtures at the same venues and Lahore, ending on Feb. 14.</p>.<p>International cricket has returned to Pakistan in the past 15 months following a militant attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.</p>.<p>The country has hosted Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe since September 2019, while England recently announced a short two-match 20-over series in October next year in the build-up to the T20 World Cup in India.</p>.<p>"It’s pleasing to see so many countries making a return to Pakistan – a proud, cricket-loving nation," said Graeme Smith, South Africa’s Director of Cricket, in a statement.</p>.<p>"I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the hospitality and transparency they showed our security contingent when they travelled over there a few weeks ago.</p>.<p>"The report on their findings and recommendations gives us confidence as an organisation that all of our team’s security, playing and accommodation needs will be met, and that the well-being of the team will be the top priority."</p>.<p>Pakistan captain Babar Azam said that aside from the thrill of playing at home, the tour will also be a chance for his side to test their progress across the two formats.</p>.<p>"I am delighted that South Africa have confirmed their tour to Pakistan and look forward to captaining my country for the first time in a home Test," said Azam in a media release from the PCB.</p>.<p>"Looking at the calendar of international cricket in 2021, I am pleased that we are playing more against the sides that are ranked above us," said Azam. "This is critical for not only our learning and development but also as an opportunity to improve our rankings across all formats."</p>