In a heartfelt post, former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar reached out to Babar Azam, offering words of encouragement and support following his omission from the Test squad against England. Anwar, who is well-known for his illustrious career in cricket, empathized with the challenges Babar is facing and expressed confidence in his ability to overcome this setback. “This too shall pass, Stay strong Babar Azam Beta. This has been happening in anybody’s career, you will bounce back INSHAHALLAH,” Anwar posted on X.
Babar Azam, who has been a key player for Pakistan across all formats, faced a tough decision as the selectors opted to leave him out of the upcoming Tests against England. Anwar’s post reminded Babar that such challenges are part of every athlete’s journey.
Anwar’s message reflects his deep understanding of the sport and the pressures that come with it. His reference to the temporary nature of setbacks and his faith in Babar’s resilience provides a motivational boost to the cricketer.
Coming to the Pakistan squad for second and third Tests, following extensive conversations held by a newly-formed selection committee, some of Pakistan’s most well-renowned players will miss the second Test in Multan against England in a host of changes. Babar headlines numerous changes made by a newly-formed selection committee in the immediate aftermath of Pakistan’s humbling innings defeat in the first Test on Friday, which came despite them posting runs in excess of 550 runs in their first innings.
Pace-bowling duo Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are also out of the squad, as is keeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who dealt with illness and was subsequently taken to hospital during the first Test, will also sit out, as per ICC.
Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan come into the squad.
“Selethecting squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors,” said Aqib Javed, a member of the selection committee as quoted by ICC.
“We have had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule. With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket as well as the players, we have made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.”
“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges. They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger.
“In the first Test, England became the first team to ever take a first innings lead of over 200 runs after conceding over 550 in the first innings. Pakistan by contrast became the first team to lose a Test match by an innings after scoring over 500 runs in the first innings, thanks to England’s 823/7d, the fourth-highest Test innings total of all time, and the highest in the 21st century.
The result moved England to fourth on the World Test Championship table to keep hopes of a Final spot alive, and consigned Pakistan to last place in the standings with a possible points percentage of just 16.67 per cent.
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 and Zahid Mehmood.
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