The Pakistan Cricket Board's newly-appointed selection committee stunned the entire cricketing fraternity with the decision to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah from the team ahead of the 2nd Test against England. Though the trio's form has been a concern of late, the fact that Pakistan would drop their best batter Babar Azam, was incomprehensible to many. Former England captain Michael Vaughan was one of those who questioned the baffling decision, calling it 'stupidty' from the Pakistan selection committee.
"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 posted on X (formerly Twitter).
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 !!!
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 13, 2024
Former England captain Nasser Hussain gave his take on Pakistan star batter Babar Azam's omission from the remainder two Tests against England and said though the batter is "nick at the moment," but a player like Babar finds a way of scoring runs under pressure. Pakistan's new selection panel have made a surprising call on Sunday as they dropped Babar as well as strike bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah from the remainder of the Test series against England.
"As for Pakistan, with their new selection panel, leaving out Babar Azam, I think England won't mind. He's a bit out of nick at the moment, but guys like him generally find a way of scoring runs when the pressure's on. If I were in England's shoes, I'd be pretty relaxed about turning up on Tuesday and finding a Pakistan team without their star batsman," Hussain noted.
Babar had not scored a Test half-century since 2022 and has seen a dip in form in a year where he was made captain and then quit the post after Pakistan suffered a group-stage exit in this year's T20 World Cup in June. However, the right-hander's overall record is still impressive, with a Test average of 43.92 to go with nine centuries and 26 half centuries in 55 matches.
Shaheen, meanwhile, has struggled to find his wicket-taking groove in Tests since returning from a knee injury.
Elsewhere, in a rare move as they seek to level the series, Pakistan are set to re-use the controversial Multan pitch used for the first Test against England for the second match starting Tuesday.
Hussain further emphasised the importance of creating a more balanced pitch for the upcoming Test, warning that another surface overly favouring the batters could be detrimental to Test cricket.
"There'll be plenty of talk this week about the fact that the second Test in Multan will be played on the same pitch as the first. But let's be honest: Test cricket cannot afford another game like the one we had last week.
"There has to be a balance between bat and ball, and that means the pitch has to offer bowlers something at both ends of the game: movement for the seamers at the start, turn for the spinners at the end," he wrote.
The second Test in Multan began on Tuesday. Pakistan will look to bounce back after a demoralising loss in the series opener, while England will be aiming claim another victory and seal the series.
With IANS Inputs