Tag: EnglandTour

Babar Azam’s struggles in Test cricket continued unabated as the former Pakistan captain once again failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to silence his critics during the first Test against England in Multan on Monday.

Despite Pakistan’s strong showing on Day 1, with Shan Masood (151) and Abdullah Shafique (102) putting up a mammoth 253-run stand, Babar failed to capitalize on a comfortable position, scoring only 30 off 71 balls before being trapped lbw by England’s Chris Woakes in the final session of the day.

Woakes set him up brilliantly, beating him on both the outside and inside edges before delivering a full-length ball that nipped in just enough to hit Babar in front of the stumps. Babar reviewed the decision, hoping for a reprieve, but ball-tracking showed it was crashing into leg stump.

The dismissal extended Babar’s poor run in Test cricket, leaving fans disappointed once again. What added salt to the wound was the reaction of fans in the stadium. Several spectators were caught on camera sleeping during Babar’s innings, a moment that quickly went viral on social media.

Fans expressed their frustration online, trolling the Pakistan skipper for his continued lacklustre performances.

Despite Babar forging a 61-run partnership with Saud Shakeel, his inability to convert starts into big scores is becoming a pattern that has fueled criticism, especially given Pakistan’s dominance earlier in the day.

Pakistan still ended Day 1 in a commanding position at 328/4, thanks to Masood and Shafique’s heroics. But with every failure, the pressure mounts on Babar to regain his form and silence the growing voices of doubt.

Pakistan’s Test skipper, Shan Masood, has expressed confidence in star batter Babar Azam’s ability to regain form during the upcoming home Test series against England. Masood believes that Azam, despite recent struggles, remains the team’s premier batter.

Azam’s performances in his last eight Tests have been below par, with an average of 21.13 and no half-centuries. However, Masood emphasized that Azam is not out of form and is still getting starts. He attributed Azam’s struggles to the long gap between Tests and the pressure of being the team’s leading batter.

“Babar is among the world’s best batters,” Masood said. “You have to give your players time, not just Babar. He is getting starts. There was a 10-month gap between the Australia and Bangladesh Tests, which does not help us.”

Masood pointed to Azam’s impressive performances in the recent Champions Cup, where he scored 230 runs at an average of 76.66 and a strike rate of almost 99. He believes that Azam’s ability to absorb pressure and change gears in that tournament will benefit him in Tests.

Masood also dismissed any concerns about a lack of unity within the team. He stated that the players are putting in effort and that he has no complaints.

“Every captain has their own style,” Masood said. “I focus on keeping the environment in the dressing room well; that is my primary concern. I have never seen a lack of unity or effort by the boys.”

Pakistan’s Test record at home has been poor in recent times, with their last win dating back to February 2021. They are under pressure to perform well against England, especially after their series loss to Bangladesh.

The Pakistan squad for the first Test against England includes:

* Shan Masood (c)
* Saud Shakeel (vc)
* Aamir Jamal
* Abdullah Shafique
* Abrar Ahmed
* Babar Azam
* Mir Hamza
* Mohammad Huraira
* Mohammad Rizwan
* Naseem Shah
* Noman Ali
* Saim Ayub
* Salman Ali Agha
* Sarfaraz Ahmed
* Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pakistan’s Test captaincy is expected to remain unchanged, with Shan Masood set to lead the team in the upcoming home series against England. Babar Azam will continue as the white-ball captain during the tours of Australia and South Africa later this year.

England’s squad will arrive in Pakistan on October 3 for a three-Test series beginning in Multan on October 7. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors will announce the Test squad after the Champions Cup final on Sunday.

Masood, who has overseen five consecutive Test losses, will meet with head coach Jason Gillespie and national selectors Muhammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq in Faisalabad this week to finalize the strategy for the England series.

The last time England visited Pakistan, during the 2022/23 season, they swept the series 3-0 under the captaincy of Babar Azam.

Sources indicate that few changes are expected in the Test squad that recently lost a series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi 0-2. The batting line-up is likely to remain stable, with Shan, Babar, Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Rizwan, Kamran Ghulam, and Muhammad Huraira being considered for selection.

The selectors are considering the inclusion of some new spinners for the three-match series, but the decision will depend on the type of pitches prepared in Multan and Rawalpindi.

Since 2022, Pakistan has lost home series to Australia, England, and Bangladesh, managing only to draw the series against New Zealand. The team will be eager to turn things around against England and regain some momentum in the Test format.