"Babar Azam rested, not dropped", clarifies Azhar Mahmood

Pakistan’s assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood, has clarified that Babar Azam has not been dropped but rather rested for the remainder of the ongoing England series, with future international commitments in mind.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made a surprise announcement on Sunday, October 13, revealing that Babar, along with key pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, would sit out the remaining matches of the series.

Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain and star batsman, has struggled with his form in Test cricket since 2023. Over the past 18 innings, Babar has managed just 366 runs at an average of 20.33, with his highest score being 41, which he scored against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. His last major contribution was a commanding 161-run knock against New Zealand in Karachi on December 26, 2022. Babar’s recent struggles were further highlighted during Pakistan's first Test defeat against England in Multan, where he posted scores of 30 and 5 in his two innings.

Despite these struggles, Mahmood stressed that Babar remains Pakistan’s premier player, and the decision to rest him was made with upcoming tours to Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa in mind.

Speaking at a press conference, Mahmood stated, "Babar is our No.1 player. There is no question about that. His technique and ability. If you look at Pakistan's FTP, there's a lot of cricket coming up. So, because of that, the selection committee decided that this was the best time to give Babar a rest. After that, we have to go to Australia and Zimbabwe and there is a South Africa tour as well. So that's important."

Addressing the decision to also rest Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, Mahmood explained that the team management was looking to give the fast bowlers a break due to their workload and minor injury concerns, while also exploring more spin options in the current series.

"If you look at the fast bowling, this was the third test under new management. Before that we were also struggling as we wanted to know how to get 20 wickets. So now we think we have more options with spin. There were also a few niggles. Naseem had a few niggles and Shaheen was playing a lot of cricket. So we decided to rest him," he said.

The former cricketer reiterated that the decision to rest Babar was not performance-related but intended to refresh the captain ahead of a busy international schedule. He revealed that Babar himself was eager to play but accepted the decision made in the best interest of both his form and the team's success.

"He hasn't been dropped. He has been rested. The management also understands that there has been a lot happening in the last few months. Mentally, even if you say you're strong, it still goes on in the back of the mind. He was willing to play. But it was the decision for him and Pakistan team to give him a rest so that he can come fresh. Because after this, we're playing till April next year," he concluded.

It is worth noting that both Pakistan and England have confirmed their playing XI for the second encounter in Multan. England sees the return of Ben Stokes, while Pakistan has gone with an all-spin attack, leaving Aamir Jamal as the sole pace bowling option in the lineup.

Pakistan's Playing XI for the Second Test: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (VC), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir