Pak vs Eng, 2nd Test: Following the heavy innings defeat against England in Multan, Pakistan on Tuesday decided to drop star batter Babar Azam from the second Test in the wake of which Babar himself requested Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq to not send him out for the test, a highly disappointing show a couple of days back.
Recommendation By The Selection Committee
Sources at ESPNcricinfo suggest that this selection committee met just a day after the loss in Lahore. Mohammed Naqvi-led committee then met again in Multan to discuss the team’s possibilities further. However, the selectors believe that a break can prove to be just the thing Babar needs as he has been going through a horror run lately.
Babar Azam’s Recent Failures
Babar has not scored a Test half-century since December 2022. This run has stretched his series to 18 innings without scoring more than 50. Babar has faced nine Tests in 2023 but has batted below 21. Babar’s batting has been hampered by the score of only 35 runs in two innings against England, which has added a lot of pressure to his batting.
Leadership Turbulence
Babar’s problems came at a difficult moment in his tenure as the captain. Pakistan didn’t progress to the knockout round of the ODI World Cup 2023, for which he resigned from the captaincy of all three formats but was reinstated a few months later. His second stint was also mixed as Pakistan won only one out of three T20I series and was knocked out from the 2024 T20 World Cup early.
Remodeling Of Pakistan’s Team On Cards
The other change expected from the second test in Babar’s absence is the case of Abrar Ahmed, whose hospitalization has made the selectors think about the spinning alternatives in Noman Ali and Sajid Khan. His uncertainty, however, persists as he is still recovering from a knee injury.
Implications For Pakistan Cricket
It will send ripples down the cricket of Pakistan with the thought of Babar being one of the country’s cricketers. He does have a huge fan following, and traditionally being an important part of the team, his omission starts questioning future directions for or performances of the team.
Next Test Match
The second Test against England is scheduled to start from October 15 in Multan. Pakistan remains at the bottom of the World Test Championship table after it suffered its first-ever innings defeat by 47 runs, and the one they need is a turnaround of fortune.
Babar Azam’s dropping is a watershed moment for Pakistan cricket as they look to rebound from recent setbacks and rediscover their competitive edge.
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