National Test team head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has confirmed that star batter Babar Azam is available for selection in the second Test against Bangladesh.
Speaking to the media in Sehlat, Sarfaraz said that if players do not perform well, senior cricketers face criticism. He added that Mohammad Rizwan and other experienced players have also made mistakes, but expressed confidence that they will improve in future matches.
He said that the decision to bowl after winning the toss in the first Test was the right one. It should be noted that when Babar was injured before the Dhaka Test, Azan Owais and Abdullah Fazal were allowed to make their debut, and both performed brilliantly, making full use of the chance.
So, Azan Awais, who scored a century in the first match, and Abdullah Fazal, who scored half-centuries in both innings in difficult conditions, became the sixth Pakistani player to achieve this feat. Will one of these young players have to sit out?
After the poor performance, there is no question of Shan Masood being dropped because he is the captain of the team. It is also unlikely that vice-captain Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha will be dropped for Babar Azam’s return.
Now, only opener Imam-ul-Haq remains. Questions are being raised about Imam’s approach in the Dhaka Test, where, instead of facing the first ball himself in both innings, he sent in debutant Azan Owais. Imam-ul-Haq scored 45 runs in the first innings but managed only two runs in the second innings. Imam-ul-Haq may likely have to make way for Babar’s return.
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