Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam will be dropped from Pakistan’s playing XI for the second Test against England in Multan, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo. The report states that the decision to drop Babar from the second Test was taken directly by the newly-formed selection committee, which includes chairman Mohsin Naqvi and five mentors appointed by the PCB.
Pakistan suffered a crushing defeat against England in the first Test, losing by an innings and 47 runs despite scoring over 500 runs in the first innings. Pakistan had posted a total of 556 runs in their first innings while England, buoyed by a triple century from Harry Brook (317) and a double century from Joe Root (262), posted a mammoth total of 823/7 before declaring. In their second innings, Pakistan were bowled out for a meagre 220 runs.
Babar Azam, in particular, had failed to impress in both innings of the Test match with scores of 30 and 5 respectively, leading to murmurs about his place in the team. However, soon after the clash, Pakistan captain Shan Masood came out in support of his senior, describing him as the “best batter” in the Pakistan team.
Shan Masood backs Babar Azam:
Speaking after the match, Masood said, “We want to build a squad mentality. We don’t play a lot of Test cricket. Especially as a batter, it is not easy. You have to give a lot of opportunities, and there is no doubt that Babar Azam is Pakistan’s best batter. You always have to keep in mind that your best batter is just one game away. We will reflect and see the conditions that will be on offer. We will try to put the best team on the side.”
Talking about the learnings form the first match, Masood said, “England have taught us one thing, and it is the harsh reality for us as well. Find a way. They found a way and picked 20 wickets. As a team, you have to find a way. You can’t win a Test match without 20 wickets and a good score in the first inning. We have to find a way to produce winning results,”
