Pakistan vs England: Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi Dropped From 2nd And 3rd Test Squad

The Pakistan cricket selectors have announced their squad for the second and third Test matches against England, which will be played in Multan and Rawalpindi.

Hyderabad: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi have been dropped from the Pakistan squad for the remaining second and third Test match against England as the newly revamped selection committee announced the squad on Sunday, October 13, 2024. The second Test will be held in Multan and on the same pitch while the third game will be played in Rawalpindi, which is also expected to be a belter for the batters, on 15 and 24 October, respectively.

"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," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wrote in the release.

"The four players have been replaced by Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped), fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the original first Test squad but were subsequently released, have also been included in the 16-player squad," the statement further added.

The newly formed selection panel comprises of Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, former ICC umpire Aleem Dar, and analyst Hassan Cheema.

The decision of removing these key players from the squads came after both cricketers failed to live up to expectations in the recent times, especially in the Test cricket.

Babar’s form was under scrutiny for a long time but his poor performance on the flat track in Multan has aggravated the discussion. He amassed 35 runs across two innings in the Multan Test. Since the start of 2023, the right-handed batter has an average of less than 21 across nine Tests.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, the prominent face in Pakistan pace battery, hasn't been that effective since his return to longest format of cricket after his injury.

Squad (for 2nd and 3rd Tests):Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.