Babar, Shaheen to be rested

Pak will face Aus in November, followed by a tour of Zimbabwe

KARACHI:

The Pakistan cricket selectors are reportedly considering a significant shake-up for the upcoming white-ball tour of Zimbabwe, with senior players, including Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, likely to be rested.

Pakistan is scheduled to take on Australia in a white-ball series this November, which will be followed by another white-ball tour against Zimbabwe

Sources indicate that the selection committee is contemplating leaving out 4 to 5 key players to provide younger talent with the opportunity to gain experience in foreign conditions.

This strategic decision comes after Pakistan's disappointing performance in the recent Test series against England, which saw them losing the first match. The new selection committee had already excluded notable players such as Naseem Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed from the squad following that defeat. However, Pakistan bounced back to win the second Test, showcasing the potential of their spin attack. The series decider will be played in Rawalpindi from 24-28 October.

The final decision on the rested players will be made in a meeting scheduled for Sunday. If the plans go ahead, it could mean that Pakistan will field a relatively inexperienced squad against Zimbabwe. However, the PCB is optimistic that this approach will pay dividends in the long run.

The series against Zimbabwe is scheduled to begin on November 24, with three One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals. It will be a crucial opportunity for the younger players to make a statement and secure their place in the national team.

As the selectors focus on the Zimbabwe series, they are also preparing for a subsequent tour of Australia, where the team will face the Australians in three ODIs and three T20 matches, starting with the first ODI in Melbourne on November 4. It is anticipated that Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah will return for the Australia series, with Mohammad Rizwan likely taking over the captaincy from Azam.

Babar, who has faced criticism for the team's subpar performance in this year's T20 World Cup, is expected to focus solely on his batting after being relieved of captaincy duties. The selectors aim to strike a balance between developing new talent and ensuring experienced players are primed for tougher competition ahead.

Sehwag offers advice to Babar

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has expressed his confidence in star batter Babar Azam's ability to bounce back from a recent slump in form. Sehwag believes that Babar's struggles stem more from mental challenges than technical flaws in his game.

Babar was recently omitted from Pakistan's squad for the second and third Tests against England, a significant decision made by the newly formed selection panel, which aims to rejuvenate the team's performance. The star batsman's recent form has been concerning, as he has not crossed the fifty-run mark in his last 18 Test innings, leading to widespread criticism and ultimately his exclusion from the team.

Speaking on Shoaib Akhtar's YouTube channel, Sehwag advised Babar to focus on the basics and return to domestic cricket to regain his confidence. "Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, he should spend some time with family, then come back to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player."

The former Indian opener emphasized the importance of mental resilience during this challenging period, noting that Babar has been impacted more psychologically than technically.

"With expectations from Babar decreasing and his resignation from captaincy, it seems he has been more impacted mentally than in terms of technique. He needs to stay mentally strong. He's a talented player, and players like him tend to bounce back quickly," he said.

Babar's performance in recent matches has been lackluster, highlighted by his scores of just 64 runs in 2 Tests at an average of 16 against Bangladesh, contributing to Pakistan's shocking series defeat at home. In the first Test against England, Babar managed only 30 and 5 runs before being dropped, prompting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to conclude that a break was necessary for him to regain his form.