Babar Azam decision defended by Pakistan team as PCB faces backlash for 'absolutely stupid decision'

Babar Azam has not been dropped from the Test team but rather rested. This was reiterated by Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood on Monday, on the eve of the second Test against England in Multan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors surprised the cricketing world on Sunday by excluding the former captain from the squad for the second Test .

The PCB, however, made it clear in its statement that the batter, with nine centuries and nearly 4,000 runs in 55 Tests, has been rested, not dropped.

“Taking into consideration the current form and fitness of key players and looking ahead to Pakistan’s future assignments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors have decided to give rest to Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Abrar Ahmed (who is recovering from dengue fever) was unavailable for selection,” the board said.

Mahmood echoed this on Monday.

“Babar is our No.1 player. There is no question about that. His technique and ability. If you look at Pakistan’s FTP, there’s a lot of cricket coming up. So, because of that, the selection committee decided that this was the best time to give Babar a rest. After that, we have to go to Australia and Zimbabwe and there is a South Africa tour as well. So that’s important,” Mahmood said while also explaining the exclusions of pacers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

“If you look at the fast bowling, this was the third test under new management. Before that we were also struggling as we wanted to know how to get 20 wickets. So now we think we have more options with spin. There were also a few niggles. Naseem had a few niggles and Shaheen was playing a lot of cricket. So we decided to rest him,” said Mahmood.

Babar wanted too play in 2nd Test

Mahmood added that Babar was willing to play in the second Test, but the PCB decided to rest him nonetheless.

“He hasn’t been dropped. He has been rested. The management also understands that there has been a lot happening in the last few months. Mentally, even if you say you’re strong, it still goes on in the back of the mind. He was willing to play. But it was the decision for him and Pakistan team to give him a rest so that he can come fresh. Because after this, we’re playing till April next year,” said Mahmood.

However, the perception that Babar has merely been rested does not prevail among fans and on social media. On the contrary, many believe Babar has been dropped.

Babar has been struggling for form, scoring just 148 runs without any fifties or hundreds in four Tests in 2024, but the manner in which the PCB has handled the situation does not inspire confidence that he has been genuinely rested.

PCB faces fire over Babar decision

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood was asked about the possibility of Babar’s playing the second Test after defeat in the first Test, but his vague response raised questions about the PCB’s true intentions.

The decision to rest or drop Babar has not gone down well with active and former cricketers.

Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman expressed his concerns on X, stating that the selectors had sent the wrong message by dropping Babar.

“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” Fakhar Zaman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was even more critical, calling the decision to rest Babar an “absolutely stupid decision.”

“So Pakistan haven’t won in a while .. Go 1 nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player in @babarazam258.. I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises but this tops the lot .. absolutely stupid decision .. unless he has asked for a break,” Vaughan said.

The bottom line is that Babar will not play in the second Test, and one hopes he uses this break to find some peace within Pakistan’s highly critical cricket ecosystem and bounces back to form soon.