As a form of protest against the intrusive nature of the security measures, Babar Azam chose to stand off the field

Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, did not take the field during the first hour of the second day of the third Test against England. It appears that he did this in order to voice his disapproval of the intrusive security measures that have been implemented for the players and their families.

According to accounts from the media, Babar Azam was upset when he was prevented from leaving the team hotel on Saturday night to go out to dinner with some of the other members of the team and their families.

At first, Babar Azam intended to meet Sarfaraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, and Imam-ul-Haq at a neighbourhood restaurant for supper, where all of their respective families would also be present.

However, when he came down from his hotel room, the security personnel prevented him from going outside and made it clear that he and other players needed to seek prior clearance about their movements. This is because the two teams are being provided with President level security for the series against England.

After getting into a heated debate with a higher-ranking official, the captain stormed back to his room in a rage and announced that the security precautions were intrusive. He was unhappy with the security measures.

According to reports, on Sunday he protested the behaviour of the security men by staying in the locker room rather than coming out to lead the squad for one hour. He did this while the team was playing.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), for its part, has mostly been mum on the incident; nevertheless, the official version that has been given out is that Babar had a severe headache when he arrived at the ground, which is why he couldn’t get onto the field in the first hour of the match.

Due to the fact that England is travelling Pakistan for a Test series after a gap of 17 years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not prepared to take any chances and is providing President-level protection for both Pakistan and England during the series.

However, some with knowledge of the situation claim that the players are now sick of the constant surveillance that follows them about, which does not permit them to leave the hotel where the team is staying without prior authorization and clearance.

According to a source close to the PCB, “it is for their own benefit and the good of Pakistan cricket.”

According to sources close to the players, while it is reasonable to provide additional security for the opposing team, it is unclear why the Pakistani players must also comply with such stringent regulations.