Under-Fire Babar Azam Down With Fever, Pakistan’s Team Crisis Deepens

As the Pakistan cricket team desperately looks to avoid a clean sweep against England, having already gone 0-2 down, the management has a fresh headache to handle ahead of the third Test. It has been reported that skipper Babar Azam is down with fever. The update emerges amid a chaotic situation in the Pakistan team that saw the board deciding to sack as many as seven players from the squad, while also replacing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.

Pakistan’s team manager Naveed Akram Cheema confirmed to Geo News that while Babar was suffering from fever, there is no need to panic as he stays fit overall, with a quick recovery expected.

Babar scored just eight and six at Lord’s as Pakistan fell to a loss by 194 runs. The Pakistan skipper missed the first Test due to injury, with Salman Ali Agha taking the captaincy armband.

Babar had a solid tour of the West Indies with the bat, scoring 193 runs in two matches, including two fifties as Pakistan drew the series 1-1, with Babar’s re-appointment as Test captain getting a mixed bag start.

The veteran batter has not touched three figures in Tests since 161 against New Zealand in December 2022.

Pakistan have brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have a combined experience of just 10 matches. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan’s white-ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach respectively, have also joined the Test coaching staff, the report added.

Earlier, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq offered his resignation from the Pakistan men’s national selection committee following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to make major changes to the Test squad and coaching staff during the ongoing tour of England.

According to the report, the PCB is yet to accept Misbah’s resignation. He has also decided to step down from his role as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

With ANI Inputs

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