October 13, 2024: Former Pakistan captain and key batter Babar Azam has been dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the second and third Tests against England, as part of a series of major changes following their crushing defeat in the first Test. The second Test is scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Multan.
Babar Azam: The decision to drop Babar comes after a string of low scores, with his last significant contribution in Test cricket dating back to December 2022. In his last 17 innings, Babar has averaged a mere 20.70, and on home soil, where other players have found success, he averages only 18.75 in his last eight innings.
Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi: Pakistan’s leading fast bowlers are also rested. Naseem and Shaheen have been pivotal for Pakistan in recent years, but the committee decided they needed time to recover and regain their form.
Abrar Ahmed: The leg-spinner will sit out due to illness that saw him hospitalized during the first Test.
Several new and returning faces have been included in the squad:
- Haseebullah (wicket-keeper)
- Mehran Mumtaz (spinner)
- Kamran Ghulam
- Mohammad Ali (fast bowler)
- Sajid Khan (off-spinner)
Aqib Javed, a member of the newly-formed selection committee, explained that the changes were made after careful consideration of player form, the need to bounce back in the series, and the team’s demanding future schedule. He emphasized that the break will allow key players like Babar, Naseem, Sarfaraz, and Shaheen to regain their fitness and confidence for future challenges.
The first Test saw England make history by becoming the first team to take a first innings lead of over 200 runs after conceding more than 550 in the first innings. Pakistan, despite scoring over 500 runs, suffered a humiliating innings defeat, becoming the first team to lose a match after scoring 500+ in their first innings. England’s massive 823/7 declared set the stage for a dominant victory, moving them to fourth place in the World Test Championship standings. Pakistan, meanwhile, dropped to last place with a points percentage of just 16.67%.
Pakistan Squad for Second and Third Tests:
- Shan Masood (captain)
- Saud Shakeel (vice-captain)
- Aamer Jamal
- Abdullah Shafique
- Haseebullah (wicket-keeper)
- Kamran Ghulam
- Mehran Mumtaz
- Mir Hamza
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Huraira
- Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper)
- Noman Ali
- Saim Ayub
- Sajid Khan
- Salman Ali Agha
- Zahid Mehmood
These changes highlight the urgency within Pakistan cricket to bounce back in the series and address some of the issues that led to the disappointing result in the first Test.
