Ramiz questions Babar's omission

He believes that it should have been the batter's decision to rest

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has voiced his discontent regarding star batter Babar Azam's exclusion from the Test squad for the remainder of the England series.

Raja believes that it should have been Babar's decision to rest rather than being dropped from the lineup entirely. His comments were made during a discussion with former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton on Sky Sports.

"It should have been Babar's call whether he wanted time out of the playing XI or not. It was a kneejerk reaction, new selectors in. The general opinion was he needed rest and he was taken out of the squad completely," Raja said.

The 30-year-old has faced challenges in red-ball cricket, having failed to score a half-century in his last nine Tests. Despite batting on friendly conditions at home, he has not performed to his usual standards. Raja highlighted the impact of Babar's absence on cricket's commercial aspects, emphasizing that he is a key figure in attracting sponsorship for Pakistan cricket.

"We need to understand he sells cricket for Pakistan and there is always this debate happening in Pakistan on whether it's going to be another failure for Babar Azam or whether he is going to make a comeback and that keeps things interesting. Right now, I don't see any sellable commodity in this Pakistan team. The sponsors are little wary as well because Pakistan have been on a losing sequence and there are no real superstars playing in this Test match," he said.

In Babar's absence, Kamran Ghulam made his Test debut in Multan, batting on a spinner-friendly track.

He walked in after the early dismissals of Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood, who won the toss and chose to bat first. The pitch, which had already begun to show cracks and marks, was the same one used in the first Test but had altered significantly after the grass was removed and the surface dried.

Afridi backs PCB decision

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has voiced his support for the national selectors' decision to rest key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah for the remaining two Test matches against England.

Afridi took to social media platform 'X' to commend the move, stating it would not only protect the longevity of these star players but also open doors for young talent to be nurtured.

"Supporting the selectors' decision to give Babar, Shaheen, and Naseem a break from international cricket. This move not only helps protect and extend the careers of these champion players but also gives a great opportunity to test and groom emerging talent, building strong bench strength for the future," Afridi posted on X.

Babar Azam's recent form in Tests has been under scrutiny, having gone 18 innings without a half-century. In the first Test against England, Babar managed scores of 30 and 5, as Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat, losing by an innings and 47 runs after England declared at 823-7.

The decision to rest the trio comes just days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revamped their selection panel, adding former pacer Saleem Javed and Azhar Ali to work alongside Asad Shafiq. Selector Aaqib Javed explained, "We've made the decision to rest Babar Azam and a few other players," in a statement released by the PCB.

Babar, who once topped the ICC rankings in all three formats, has seen his form dip in recent times. He has averaged under 21 in his last nine Test matches, scoring only 126 runs in six innings during Pakistan's tour of Australia and 64 runs in two home Tests against Bangladesh. Despite his struggles, he remains the top-ranked batsman in one-day internationals.

Pakistan Playing XI: Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.