Pakistan has dropped Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed from the squad for the remaining two Tests against England. The changes came after Pakistan’s innings defeat in the first Test at Multan. The new selection committee made the decision after assessing players’ form and fitness.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the move aims to rest key players ahead of the 2024-25 international season. Pakistan trails 0-1 in the series and is last in the World Test Championship standings.
Struggling Form Led to Decisions
Babar Azam hasn’t scored a Test half-century since 2022. Shaheen Afridi has not found his form after returning from a knee injury. The selectors believe resting them will help them recover fitness and confidence.
Aqib Javed, part of the selection committee, expressed full support for the players during this period. He stated the rest will ensure they return stronger for future challenges.
New Faces in the Squad
Uncapped players Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam replace the dropped players. Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Zahid Mehmood also join the squad for the second and third Tests.
Maaz Sadaqat and Rohail Nazir will replace Mehran and Haseebullah in the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
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