Babar Azam in a chat with Jason Gillespie© X (Twitter)
Pakistan stalwart Babar Azam finally paid the price of his poor form, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee deciding to drop form the squad for the second Test against England. Babar, who has been in the line of fire over inconsistent performances for more than a year, was backed by his skipper Shan Masood to bounce back, being the team’s “best batter”, but he found no place in the XI for the second Test. In a video that has surfaced on social media, Babar could be seen engaging in an intense chat with head coach Jason Gillespie before being comforted by him and assistant coach Azar Mahmood.
Even captain Shan Masood could be seen in the frame as a distraught Babar was being consoled by the coaches. Here’s the video:
Looks like Jason Glipssie, Azhar Mahmood and Shan Masood are not happy with the exclusion of Babar Azam… pic.twitter.com/9EOekbTrR8
— Hassan Abbasian (@HassanAbbasian) October 13, 2024
Though it isn’t yet understood what the exact matter of the conversation was, it did look like Babar wasn’t happy with the development. But, he did seem to have gotten the reassurances needed from the coaches.
Babar isn’t the only player to have been dropped from the team. Marquee pace duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have also been shown the exit door.
Javed, one of the selectors in the newly-appointed committee by the Pakistan Cricket Board, is hopeful that this break from the game will help the three star players rediscover their lost form.
“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence, and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges,” he said.
“They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger,” he added.
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