Pakistan has decided to exclude Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah from their squad for the remainder of the Test series against England following a humiliating innings defeat in the first Test. This marks the first significant decision made by the team’s management since the selection team was overhauled shortly after their loss in Multan.
Both England and Pakistan have announced their playing elevens for the second Test, with England captain Ben Stokes returning to the side after missing the first match due to injury. During a media interaction, Stokes was asked about the absence of Pakistan’s three key players for the remainder of the series. He responded, “That’s Pakistan cricket’s issue, nothing to do with me.”
‘Rested’ Not ‘Dropped’
Pakistan’s assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood, clarified that the trio has only been “rested” and not “dropped.” He stated that the management aims to keep these players fit for the upcoming white-ball matches. “Babar is our No. 1 player in terms of technique and ability,” Mahmood said. “With so much cricket coming up, the selection committee decided to give Babar a rest because we need to prepare for tours to Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.”
He further explained that they announced the team for just one Test because they anticipated changes. “We knew we’d have to rest Shaheen and other important players due to the continuous cricket over the next six months.”
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However, there is skepticism surrounding Mahmood’s justification. Critics argue that none of the upcoming white-ball tours are as critical as securing a Test series victory against England at home, especially considering Pakistan hasn’t won a Test series at home since early 2021. The team has faced a series of setbacks, including a loss to Bangladesh and their historic defeat prior to this match. They also became the first team to suffer an innings defeat after scoring over 500 runs in their first innings against England in the first Test. A defeat in the second Test would mean losing their second consecutive Test series at home against England.