Babar Azam Faces Possible Drop from Pakistan Test Team

Islamabad, Pakistan – Former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam might be dropped for the second Test match of the series due to his recent poor performance in Test cricket. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held an emergency meeting after Pakistan’s loss to England in the first Test in Multan. The meeting, chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, focused on player performance and fitness, as well as improving pitch conditions for future games.

During the meeting, which lasted two hours, the selection committee and mentors reviewed the team’s recent performances in detail. They agreed to evaluate the performance of new players and complete the fitness assessments by the end of the current series.

Babar Azam’s form has been under scrutiny, especially after scoring only 35 runs in two innings against England on a flat pitch. He has not scored a half-century in his last 18 Test innings, with an average of under 21 in nine Tests since the start of 2023. Earlier, Babar stepped down as the white-ball captain to focus on his performance, as Pakistan has not won a major tournament under his leadership since 2019.

After the ODI World Cup, where Pakistan failed to reach the knockout stage, Babar resigned from the captaincy in all formats. Shaheen Shah Afridi was briefly appointed as the T20I captain but was replaced after a series loss to New Zealand. Babar was reinstated as the white-ball captain, while Shan Masood continues as the Test captain.