Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has urged star batsman Babar Azam to do well during the home Test series against England, claiming that he is not out of form and is still the team’s number-one hitter. The series, which begins on October 7 with the first Test in Multan, will be vital for Pakistan not just in terms of the ICC World Test Championship, but also in terms of the form of their most prominent batter. Babar’s performance in his previous eight Tests has been subpar, amassing 317 runs at an average of 21.13 and failing to score a fifty. His highest score is 41.
In a news conference prior of the series, Masood was reported by ESPNCricinfo as saying, “Babar is among the world’s top hitters. You must give your players time, not only Babar. Babar appears to be in good shape; he is gaining starts. There was a 10-month gap between the Australia and Bangladesh tests, which didn’t assist us.”
“He played some extended innings in the Champions [One-Day] Cup, absorbing pressure and shifting gears. That might assist him in testing today. In four matches at the Champions Cup in Pakistan, a 50-over event, Babar scored 230 runs at an average of 76.66 and a strike rate of almost 99.
Masood also ruled out any “lack of unity” within the team. He also stated that the players are putting in effort, and he has no concerns. “Each captain has their flair. My biggest priority is maintaining a good dressing room environment. I’ve never witnessed a lack of togetherness or effort from the lads. There are cricketing things which we need to improve, but I have no concerns about togetherness,” he said.
Pakistan is ranked eighth in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 after losing the home series to Bangladesh. The Shan Masood-led squad is under pressure coming into the first Test against England, having not won a home Test since February 2021. Pakistan has not won a home Test match in the past ten attempts, including a 3-0 series defeat to England in 2022.
Listen to the newest songs only on JioSaavn.com. Pakistan’s team for the first Test: 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.