File photo of Babar Azam© AFP
Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag took a dig at Pakistan batter Babar Azam's recent performance in international cricket and asked him to work on his fitness. Ahead of the second Test match against England in Multan, Pakistan's selection committee took everyone by surprise after dropping the former Pakistan captain Babar Azam from the final two long-format matches of the series against the Three Lions. Kamran Ghulam was handed his maiden Test cap and placed to fill Babar's position as Pakistan hunted to level down the series. The batting all-rounder was at the receiving end of criticism from some sections of fans before and during the Test.
Despite a tough time, the 29-year-old showed grit and resilience against a fierce English bowling line-up to keep Pakistan in the thick of the action. With an array of shots, he kept the opposition on their toes and smashed 118 off 124 deliveries.
Speaking on Shoaib Akhtar's official YouTube channel, Sehwag said that Babar should take part in domestic cricket now and then make a comeback in international cricket as a mentally stronger player.
"Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, spend some time with family, then come back to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player," Sehwag said.
The former India cricketer added that the former Pakistan skipper has been more impacted mentally. The 46-year-old also asked Babar to be mentally strong.
"With expectations from Babar decreasing and his resignation from captaincy, it seems he has been more impacted mentally than in terms of technique. He needs to stay mentally strong. He's a talented player, and players like him tend to bounce back quickly," he added.
While Ghulam's knock set the tone of the Test for Pakistan, it was Noman Ali and Sajid Khan who dictated the outcome with their spin prowess.
The duo took all 20 wickets in the second Test, leaving England completely baffled in the process. While Sajid starred with his figures of 7/111 in the first innings, the plaudits belonged to Noman in the second innings for his splendid effort of 8/46.
With a 125-run victory, Pakistan levelled the series at 1-1, taking the series decider to Rawalpindi, beginning on October 24.