Babar Azam, the rising star in Pakistani cricket, is probably going to be left out of the team for the second Test match in Multan against England. After suffering a humiliating loss in the opening Test, the hosts will have to make some difficult decisions before playing the following game.
Babar Azam should not be included, according to the newly established selection committee that convened in Lahore soon after Pakistan lost to England in Multan.
The great batsman in red-ball cricket has been having trouble getting back into form. He scored his last fifty runs in a Test match in December of 2022. His bad performance in the previous year is what led to the decision. The cricket celebrities and experts that make up the selection panel think that the batter’s form might improve if he takes some time off the national team.
Shaheen Afridi won’t play in the second Test.
The Lahore-born batsman was openly supported by Pakistan’s Test captain, Shan Masood, who called him “Pakistan’s best batter” and advocated for player continuity after the first Test defeat. Although selectors have taken a different tack behind closed doors, head coach Jason Gillespie shared a similar opinion.
During the period from November 2019 to the end of 2022, Babar averaged nearly 62 in 25 Test matches; his latest results have been far from that impressive record.
With fast bowler Shaheen Afridi’s form under evaluation and spinner Abrar Ahmed unlikely to recover in time, the selection committee is also thinking about making changes to the bowling lineup.
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The Men in Green finished last in the World Test Championship points table with 16 points and a PCT of 16.67 following their loss to the Three Lions in the opening tie.