Former England captain turned pundit Michael Vaughan took to X (former Twitter) on Sunday (October 13) and slammed Pakistan Cricket Board as Babar Azam was excluded from the England series for the last two Tests. The player managed to get only 30 and 5 runs in the first Test against England, which Pakistan lost by an innings 47 runs at Multan last week, where he hasn’t got a 50 plus score in 18 Test innings.
Shocked by Babar’s sacking Vaughan noted, Pakistan cricket is full of surprises but dropping the best player in the team when the series is 1-0 down is something exceptional. For him, it was a foolish act to leave Babar out.
“So Pakistan haven’t won in a while… Go 1 nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player in @babarazam258. I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises, but this tops the lot.. absolutely stupid decision.. unless he has asked for a break !!!” Vaughan tweeted.
Apart from Babar, pacers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi and the former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed have also been left out for the last two Tests that are to be held in Multan and Rawalpindi respectively.
In the PCB release it states, “Considering the present form and fitness of some key players and looking into the future with respect to Pakistan’s international cricket engagements in the 2024-25 season, it has been decided by the selectors to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Abrar Ahmed (who is recovering from dengue fever) was out of the selection.”
“The four players have been substituted by Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam (all first timers), fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood who were a part of the original first Test Squad but released later have also been added in the 16 member squad.”
Pakistan’s squad for the last two Tests against England: Shan Masood (C), Saud Shakeel (VC), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, and Zahid Mehmood.