England Series: Babar, Shaheen, Naseem Dropped

Babar, Shaheen, Naseem Dropped from England Series: ‘The System Needs Rest, Not the Players’

Pakistan’s former captain and star batsman Babar Azam has been dropped from the team ahead of the second and third Test matches in the Pakistan vs England series.

According to a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), “Considering the current form and fitness of key players and keeping in mind Pakistan’s future series in 2024 and 2025, the selectors have decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Afridi. Abrar Ahmed, who is currently suffering from dengue fever, was unavailable for selection.”

The selectors have replaced these four players with wicketkeeper Haseebullah, left-arm off-spinner Mehran Mumtaz, batsman Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and off-spinner Sajid Khan.

Spinners Nauman Ali and Zahid Mahmood, who were initially part of the squad for the first Test but were later released, have also been included in the 16-member squad for the second Test.

While Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi have been rested before, this is the first time since his debut in 2016 against the West Indies that Babar Azam has been dropped from the team.

Concerns about Babar Azam’s recent form had been looming for some time, as he had not scored a half-century in his last 18 Test innings and had been surrounded by several controversies over the past year.

Embarrassing Defeat Against England Spurs Changes

It’s important to note that Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test against England in Multan, after which the PCB announced a new selection committee.

The new selection committee includes former fast bowlers Aaqib Javed, umpire Aleem Dar, former Islamabad United manager Hasan Cheema, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafiq. This announcement came after former captain Mohammad Yousuf resigned from the selection committee.

These major changes in the Pakistan cricket team come at a time when Pakistan has not won any of its last 11 Test matches on home soil. Furthermore, the team was knocked out in the first rounds of both the ODI World Cup last year and the T20 World Cup this year.

Pakistan’s squad includes captain Shan Masood, vice-captain Saud Shakeel, along with Amir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Harira, Mohammad Rizwan, Nauman Ali, Saeem Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, and Zahid Mahmood.

Aaqib Javed’s Take on the Selection

Former fast bowler Aaqib Javed, recently appointed to the selection committee, said, “Selecting the team for the upcoming Test against England was a difficult task for the selectors.

“We had to consider the players’ current form, the need for a strong comeback in the series, and Pakistan’s international schedule for 2024-25. Keeping these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players themselves, we decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.”

He further added, “We believe that this break from international cricket will help these players restore their fitness, confidence, and mental peace, ensuring they come back stronger for future challenges.”

Speaking about the replacement players, the PCB statement added, “We are providing opportunities to new players like Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, alongside Mohammad Ali, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Zahid Mahmood.

“Now they have a chance to showcase their skills against a strong England team. We are confident that they will rise to the occasion and make the most of this opportunity in the remaining two Test matches.”

Rest Needed for the System, Not the Players

Before the England series, Babar Azam had announced his resignation from the captaincy in white-ball formats.

For years, Babar Azam has been a favorite among cricket fans in Pakistan, with his remarkable consistency in batting. However, over the past year, his form has dramatically declined, putting him under increasing pressure. His possible self-imposed break or the chance of being dropped by the selectors had been widely speculated after the Test series against Bangladesh.

At one point, Babar Azam had an average of over 50 in all three formats, but for over a year, he has faced challenges in his batting.

On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), many have posted in support of Babar Azam, including Fakhar Zaman.

He posted, “Virat Kohli was not dropped in India even when his averages between 2020 and 2023 were 19.33, 28.21, and 26.5. If we talk about dropping our best batsman and possibly one of the greatest in Pakistan’s history, Babar Azam, it will send the wrong message to the team.

“We should focus on preserving our key players rather than discouraging them.”

Former Pakistan women’s cricketer Javeria Khan tweeted, “We’ve made a laughingstock of ourselves in the cricket world.”

“A system where players like Babar Azam are not respected is a system where such players should not exist. No athlete can perform under a tired mind, a draining environment, social media trials, and constant pressure to perform.”

Javeria added, “Deciding to rest your premier players should be done before the series, not in the middle. If done earlier, it would have benefited the players and sent a positive message.”

She emphasized that these four players don’t need rest; it’s the system’s mentality that needs a reset. “It’s heartbreaking and disappointing to see Pakistan cricket fall so low.”

No Half-Century in 18 Innings—This Was Bound to Happen

On the other hand, some have praised the selectors for making this decision, arguing that Babar’s long-standing poor form warranted such action.

Journalist Shahid Hashmi wrote, “Babar Azam is now waiting for a tweet from Virat Kohli saying, ‘This too shall pass.’” It’s worth remembering that when Virat Kohli faced multiple failures and a decline in form, Babar Azam had tweeted something similar for him.

Cricket commentator Atif Nawaz wrote, “Babar Azam has been dropped from the Pakistan team for the second Test. Once this was unthinkable, but after 18 innings without a half-century, it had to happen. Hopefully, he will spend time in first-class cricket and try to regain his lost form.”

However, fans from both India and Pakistan do not see a fair comparison between Babar and Kohli.

On X, Haroon wrote, “The difference is that India was winning at that time. Pakistan is losing. So, we need to make changes. The game could continue with Babar, but it’s better if he works on his fitness and technique.”