PAK v ENG 2024: Babar Azam set to be dropped for second Test in Multan

Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam is set to be dropped from the playing XI for the second Test against England in Multan starting Tuesday (Oct 15). Shortly after England humbled Pakistan in the first game at the same venue by an inning and 47 runs, the newly formed selection committee met in Lahore on Friday (Oct 11), recommending Babar’s exclusion from the side for his betterment.

Per the latest reports, the selection committee, consisting of Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, the former ICC umpire Aleem Dar and analyst Hassan Cheema, met again on Saturday in Multan, this time in the presence of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Although Test captain Shan Masood backed Babar in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, calling him ‘Pakistan’s best batter’, with Test coach Jason Gillespie sharing the same sentiments, the selection committee collectively felt a break from international cricket would help Babar revive his form.

The former Pakistan captain hasn’t scored a Test fifty since December 2022, with his last hundred across formats coming more than a year ago against Nepal during the 2023 Asia Cup.

As first reported in ESPNcricinfo, the selectors travelled to Multan on Saturday alongside the coach and the captain, with PCB curator Tony Hemming also joining them. At the meeting, some mentors backed Babar to retain his spot in the playing XI, but the majority was against it.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear if Babar will return to playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy beginning October 20, considering the right-handed batter has not participated in that first-class tournament since 2019.

Babar’s form a worry for him and Pakistan

Babar hasn’t played his best cricket in a very long time, with Pakistan facing subsequent challenges, the latest being losing a Test match on the flat Multan wicket against England.

Though the English pair of Joe Root and Harry Brook amassed 262 and 317 runs, respectively, in the only inning they batted in, Babar could score just 35 runs across two innings, beaten on the inside edge in the first inning and outside in the second.

It’s been 18 innings since Babar crossed a fifty-run mark, with his average reading just 21 in nine Tests since 2023.

Meanwhile, Babar is not the only one to face repercussions, with spinner Abrar Ahmed, who was hospitalised during the first Test, is highly unlikely to recover. The PCB is understood to be considering Noman Ali and Sajid Khan in his place. Besides, star seamer Shaheen Afridi might also miss the second Test.

(With inputs from agencies)