Former Pakistan cricketer and PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has expressed his displeasure over Babar Azam’s exclusion from the second and third Test matches against England.
Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh also agreed with Ramiz Raja’s comments and added that Babar Azam should play in the second Test.
Babar is going through the most difficult phase of his international cricket career.
The right-handed batsman has scored 352 runs in his last nine Tests with a disappointing average of 21 and a best score of 21. He scored 35 in the first Test against England on a flat Multan track.
Babar Azam and 3 others dropped from Pakistan Test team
Pakistan selectors recently decided to drop the star trio of Babar, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah after an innings loss in the first Test match.
Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah were previously left out of the Pakistan squad after the first Test match against Bangladesh.
Pakistan’s recent loss of three consecutive home Tests was not entirely the fault of any individual player. Besides Rizwan, the batting line-up, including captain Shan Masood, is struggling. The ongoing change in leadership of the Pakistan Cricket Board has affected team performance.
It should have been a call from Babar Azam – Ramiz Raja
In an interview with Sky Sports before the start of day 1 of the second Test, Ramiz Raja criticized Babar’s exclusion from the playing XI. Ramiz said it should be Babar’s decision and not the selectors’ decision. He described the move as a “knee-jerk reaction” by the new selection committee.
“It should have been Babar’s call whether he wanted out of the playing XI. It was a callous response and new selectors were involved. The general consensus was that he needed rest and was left out of the squad altogether,” Raja told Sky said to sports.
“We have to understand that he sells cricket for Pakistan. There is always a debate in Pakistan about whether this will be another failure for Babar Azam or whether he will come back and make things interesting.”
“There is currently no merch available for this Pakistan team. Sponsors are also a bit wary as Pakistan is on a losing streak and no real superstars are playing in these Test matches,” he added.
Babar Azam should play in this Test match – Mark Waugh
Mark Waugh also said Babar should be included in the Tests and described him as Pakistan’s best player. He added that Pakistan cannot afford to have world-class players in its Test team. Waugh said that even England would consider Babar as a key wicket-keeper in Pakistan’s line-up.
“Babar should play in this Test match. He is a top player and Pakistan do not have the same luxury of many world-class players in and around the Test team. I am sure England will still consider him a big wicket-taker for Pakistan. In the lineup,” Mark Waugh wrote.
Also read: Nasser Hussain blames PCB for dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi Wasim Akram’s reaction
