In a shocking turn of events and Pakistan’s terrible defeat against England in the first Test, Babar Azam was left out from the Pakistan’s team for both the second and third Test matches against England, but according to the Pakistan Cricket Board is being “rested due to current form.” Despite the PCB confirming that Babar, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah are “being rested,” earlier reports had implied it was because of disappointing performances. The decision has brought forth a flurry of debate from both its proponents as well as the former cricketers, who wonder why such a decision has been taken. The batting stalwart of the Pakistani team has been undergoing a nightmare of a crisis across all formats, especially Tests, where he hasn’t scored a half-century in his last 18 innings. The defeat also had to do with his recent performance against England, when he was dismissed after being effectively challenged by bowlers exploiting both his inside and outside edges on a flat Multan pitch.
Fakhar Zaman Criticizes PCB For Benching Babar Azam
Pakistan’s overall performance has also been underwhelming, posting over 500 runs in their first innings yet still suffering an innings defeat—the first time in Test history that a team has lost by an innings after scoring more than 500 runs.
Fakhar Zaman was one of the most vocal voices among the Pakistani players when he too felt the compulsion to condemn the decision to send Babar on a break. He took to social media to make a comparison between this and how India treated Virat Kohli when the latter failed to score from 2020 to 2022. Though Kohli averages less than 30 over three years, he did not ever get out of the Indian XI. According to Fakhar Zaman it is extremely worrying that Babar Azam is made to sit out.
“India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023 (2022), when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them.”
It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan…
— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) October 13, 2024
The PCB has surprisingly decided to rest Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah along with Babar Azam. Both Naseem and Afridi of the bowlers have made mistakes in some of the latest matches and could not give out their best performance. Multan pitch, where the match is scheduled to be played tomorrow, was criticized severely for its flat nature which does not suit the bowlers for giving their best performance.
The second Test will be played from October 15 and it would be even more difficult for Pakistan to make a comeback with their marquee players rested.
