Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has cracked the whip following its men’s team’s innings defeat to England in Multan recently. They have dropped former captain Babar Azam alongside pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi for the remainder of the three-match series which Pakistan trail 0-1.
Naseem Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed have also been dropped with PCB stating the decision has been taken after considering the form and fitness of their “key players” keeping in mind the future assignments.
Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped), fast bowler Mohammad Ali and offspinner Sajid Khan have been added to the squad for the second and third Tests as their replacements.
Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the original first Test squad but were subsequently released, have also been included in the 16-player squad.
Babar hasn’t scored a half-century in his last 18 Test innings and managed just 30 and five in the first Test defeat to England.
“Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors,” Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed said in a statement on Sunday. “We’ve had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule.”
“With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket as well as the players, we’ve made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi,” he added.
Aaqib is hopeful that the break from international cricket will prove beneficial to the dropped players.
“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges. They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger,” he said.
“At the same time, we are offering opportunities to uncapped players like Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, along with Mohammad Ali, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood. They now have the chance to showcase their skills against a formidable England side. We believe they will rise to the occasion and make the most of this opportunity in the remaining two Tests,” he added.
Pakistan squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.
The second Test starts from October 15.
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