Babar Azam says he was unaware of Pakistan dropping 7 players: It was news to me
ENG vs PAK: Babar Azam said he was unaware of Pakistan's decision to release seven players ahead of the Edgbaston Test after England took an unassailable 2-0 lead. The Pakistan skipper also defended his recent Test record by pointing to his Player of the Series award against the West Indies.
Babar Azam found himself at the centre of questions surrounding Pakistan’s dramatic Test squad overhaul ahead of the third Test against England at Edgbaston. Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Birmingham, the Pakistan skipper said he was unaware of the decision to release seven players from the squad.
The sweeping changes came after Pakistan slipped to an unassailable 2-0 deficit in the three-Test series, with the PCB making several changes to the squad and bringing in a number of new faces for the final Test.
“It was news to me as well. I also came to know about it later. Since the PCB made the decision, they can explain it better,” Babar said.
Pakistan released Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Imam-ul-Haq, Aamer Jamal, Ali Usman, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad from the squad following the defeat at Lord’s.
The changes came after England secured an unassailable series lead with a 194-run victory at Lord’s. Pakistan’s batting struggled throughout the second Test, with the team failing to cross the 200-run mark in either innings.
BABAR AZAM SHUTS DOWN FORM QUESTION
The changes inevitably brought Babar’s own form under scrutiny. A journalist questioned him about the contrast between his white-ball and Test form, while pointing to the dropping of Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha over their performances and asking how he viewed his own position amid the PCB’s push for underperforming players to return to domestic or high-performance cricket.
“If we’re talking about performers, I think I was the Player of the Series last time,” Babar replied.
Babar had been named Player of the Series after Pakistan’s Test series against the West Indies. He was Pakistan’s leading run-scorer, scoring 193 runs at an average of 96.50, and made a crucial contribution in the second Test as Pakistan secured victory.
However, his performances at Lord’s were a sharp contrast. Babar scored just 8 runs in the first innings and 6 in the second, as Pakistan were bowled out cheaply while chasing 389.
With the series already lost, Pakistan will now look to salvage some pride in Birmingham and avoid a 3-0 defeat against England.