The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not happy with the fact that Fakhar Zaman openly criticized the decision of the selection panel which decided to drop Babar Azam from the Test squad. When the announcement to replace the squad for the remaining two Tests of the ongoing series against England in Multan and Rawalpindi was made, the panel also dropped former captain Babar Azam. A few Twitter posts made Zaman appear angry and dissatisfied with the decision made by the panel that the Board disapproved of. “The top board officials are not pleased with the tweet sent out by Fakhar and relevant persons are having a word with him about it,” a well-placed source in PCB said. ” It is sad that there are even suggestions about putting Babar Azam on the bench.
‘If we think about dropping the star batsman of the team, who is probably the greatest batsman in Pakistan, it is bound to have a very adverse effect on the entire team. The panic button is not yet required; it is better to protect potential assets rather than destroy them”, Zaman appealed through social media platform.
It is also disturbing to see in the media some discussions on putting Babar Azam on the bench. From 2020 to 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21 and 26.50 respectively, the Indian Team continued to play Virat Kohli in the XI. ‘If we are talking about dropping our best batsman who is arguable the best batting talent that Pakistan has ever produced him…
Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) – October 13, 2024
Most important however was the contrasting view of Fakhar and the sources who claimed that one of the new selectors included ex-captain Azhar Ali who spoke with Babar at length on Saturday regarding the reason for the resting decision. Azhar, the source claimed further, assured Babar that he was very much in the plans and future structure of Pakistan cricket.
Aqib Javed, another new selection panel member, mentioned that picking a Test squad for the two Tests was not an easy job for them.
“It’s been an interaction looking at how the present players are performing, the need to turn the series around as quickly as possible and the compact international calendar that Pakistan has in the year 2024-25,” he reasoned. “Bearing in these considerations in the best interests of Pakistan cricket and the players, we have opted to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.”
Aaqib stated that the selectors believe that this hiatus from international games will allow these players to recuperate in terms of fitness and morale and that they will be fit enough to face difficulties in the coming encounters.
