After a shambolic defeat in the first test against England, the PCB took a bold decision and dropped Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah from the squad for the second and third Test. Pakistan cricket is going through a massive slump and recently suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Bangladesh. They followed their defeat with another horrific performance when they lost to England by an innings despite posting 556 runs in the first innings. The defeat drew massive criticism for the PCB and team following which the board decided to take stern action against non performing senior players.
The PCB in its release said that the decision to rest the players were taken after considering the current form and fitness of the players.
"Taking into consideration the current form and fitness of key players and looking ahead to Pakistan’s future assignments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors have decided to give rest to Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Abrar Ahmed (who is recovering from dengue fever) was unavailable for selection," PCB said in a release.
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"The four players have been replaced by Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped), fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the original first Test squad but were subsequently released, have also been included in the 16-player squad," it added.
Aqib Javed's Big Remark On Babar, Shaheen, Naseem's Axe
Ajib Javed, a member of the selection committee, also reflected on the removal of the star trio from the Test squad and said the decision was taken after taking into account the current form of players, admitting that it was a tough call to move on from the senior players. He said the break will help the stalwarts work on their fitness, confidence and composure, adding that the players continue to be Pakistan’s top talents and have a lot to contribute to Pakistan cricket.
“Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. We’ve 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’ve made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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“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," said Aqib Javed in a statement.