Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah were notably left out as Pakistan unveiled their squad for the upcoming England Tests. The second Test is scheduled to commence on October 15 in Multan, the same location as the first Test. The third match will take place in Rawalpindi starting on October 24.
This decision follows Pakistan's disappointing defeat to the visiting team in the series opener, where they suffered a crushing loss by an innings and 47 runs.
The official release by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated: "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."
In the latest squad announcement, uncapped players Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and off-spinner Sajid Khan have all received their first call-up to the team. Additionally, Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the original first Test squad but were later released, have been reinstated in the 16-player squad.
The debate surrounding Babar's form has been a topic of discussion among fans and former cricketers. His underwhelming performance in the first Test against England, where he only managed 35 runs across two innings on a flat wicket, has only added fuel to the fire. This extends his run without a half-century in Test cricket to 18 innings.
Furthermore, Pakistan's recent defeat against England marked their sixth consecutive loss. Prior to this, they suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of Bangladesh, who achieved a historic 2-0 clean sweep in matches played at Rawalpindi.
The repercussions of these poor outcomes are evident in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 table, where India currently holds the top position, while Pakistan finds themselves at the bottom in ninth place.
Pakistan squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood
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