In the two Test matches they have left against England, Pakistan is ready to mount a formidable comeback. The Shan Masood-led team was heavily criticised after their batting and bowling units failed in the first game, which ended in a humiliating loss of an innings and 47 runs. Nothing appears to be going Pakistan’s way in Test cricket after they were humiliated by Bangladesh and Australia earlier in the year.
To help the spinners from Day 1, Multan pitch curator Tony Hemming has been advised to create a spin-friendly track in an attempt to change that.
One thing the team management wants to improve is the fact that England batted long in the opening game, forcing Pakistan out of the match. The England players are thought to have trouble against the Pakistani spinners, which is why this choice was made.
Pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have been left out of the squad for the final two games in light of this. Although they have won matches for Pakistan in limited-overs cricket, the pair has struggled in red-ball cricket, and the team management is willing to look past them for the same reason.
Babar Azam left the Test team.
Babar Azam, who was regarded as Pakistan’s top batsman in all three game formats, has been removed from Test cricket. The ace batsman has been having a terrible time in red-ball cricket and hadn’t reached a half-century in Test cricket in 20 months. He was on the verge of being benched, but it was unclear if the team’s management would do so given one of their greatest batters ever.
Also Read: Pakistan announces team for last two Tests against England; Babar, Shaheen, and Naseem dropped
But the choice has been made, and Babar has been fired. Since it is thought that the former captain would benefit from a period of time away from the national team, claims that the psychological factor was taken into account when deciding to dismiss him.