Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shared the reason behind dropping Babar Azam from the team for the remaining matches against England.
According to Geo, the Cricket Board has said that four top players, including former captain Babar Azam, have been rested so that they can come back refreshed.
According to the PCB spokesperson, Babar Azam is the best batsman of his generation, and the board wants a mentally refreshed Babar to represent Pakistan in the future. Picking the squad for the upcoming Test against England has been a challenging task for the selectors, who had to consider the current form of the players, the urgency of returning to the series and Pakistan’s 2024-25 international schedule.
Keeping these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and its players, it has been decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The spokesperson further said that PCB is providing opportunities to our young players and domestic performers to showcase their skills against the strong England team. The cricket board believes that Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, Nauman, Sajid and Zahid each can seize the opportunity and serve the team in the remaining two Test matches.
The spokesperson said that PCB also has to focus on developing the next generation of its Test players, and this series is an opportunity to induct youngsters into the team.
Pakistan has announced their squad for the second and third matches against England, and Babar, Naseem, and Shaheen have been rested for the remaining matches.
However, aggressive batsman Fakhar Zaman has criticized PCB for dropping Babar Azam.
