Babar Azam to miss remainder of England series as Pakistan gives out-of-form star batter a rest

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan star Babar Azam wanted to continue playing in the test series against England but has been rested for the two remaining matches, the team said Monday.

“Babar was willing to play but the selection committee thought it was the best time to give him a rest,” assistant coach Azhar Mahmood told reporters a day before the second test starts in Multan.

“Babar is our No. 1 player. There’s no question about his technique and ability.”

Pakistan has rung the changes after England pulled off a remarkable victory by an innings and 47 runs in the first test in Multan by amassing 823-7 declared in its only innings.

Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have also been left out. The hosts have opted for an all-out spin attack by recalling Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood. Aamer Jamal is the solitary fast-bowling option.

Left-arm spinner Noman hasn’t featured in a test for more than a year, off-spinner Sajid played his last test against Australia earlier this year while leg-spinner Zahid is back for the first time since taking on England in Multan in 2022.

Kamran Ghulam will make his debut and replace Babar at No. 4 in the batting order.

Pakistan will re-use the same first-test strip in the hope its spinners can take 20 wickets. The team has taken 20 wickets just once in its last six tests, losing all of them under the captaincy of Shan Masood.

Babar has failed to score a half-century in his last 18 test innings, with a highest score of 41 against Australia in Melbourne last year.

Mahmood said Babar will return to the side after the series against England as Pakistan has a busy schedule in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa before hosting West Indies in two tests early next year.

“We have a very busy FTP (Future Tours Program),” Mahmood said. “There’s a lot of cricket coming up...the selection committee thought to give Babar rest so that he comes back fresh. I am quite close to Babar and I know there’s lots of things going on in his mind.”

Except for Babar, Pakistan has kept faith in the batting line-up that scored 556 and 220 in the first test.

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