During Pakistan’s first Test win over South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium, a fan tried to enter the dressing room to meet Babar Azam. Coach Azhar Mahmood stopped him before security intervened, raising concerns over player safety and stadium security.
A fan attempted to invade the Pakistan dressing room during Day 4 of the recently concluded first Test of the two-match series against South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday, October 15. Pakistan, led by Shan Masood, registered its first win of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle by defeating the reigning champions South Africa.
On Day 3 of the series opener, Pakistan were bundled out for 167 in the second innings and set a 277-run target for South Africa to chase. At stumps, the Proteas posted a total of 51/2, with Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi batting on 29 and 16, respectively, and needed 226 runs to win the match.
However, on Day 4, the visitors’ batting collapsed as they were bundled out for 183, despite a half-century by Dewald Brevis, handing Pakistan a 93-run victory and a crucial 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. Pakistan spinner Noman Ali, who was adjudged Player of the Match, was the star performer as he registered figures of 10/191, including a six-wicket in the first innings, at an economy rate of 3.03 in 63 matches.
Fan Attempts to Enter Pakistan Dressing Room
As Pakistan clinched a crucial victory in the first Test of the two-match series, a fan attempted to enter the team’s dressing room, allegedly on the pretext of meeting star batter and former captain Babar Azam. Since Babar made his return to international cricket after being dropped from the Asia Cup squad, the Gaddafi Stadium crowd had been buzzing with excitement to see the star batter play.
Before the conclusion of the first Test, a fan attempted to enter the Pakistan dressing room to meet Babar Azam. In a video that went viral on social media, A young fan can be seen climbing over to the hosts’ dressing room balcony and then walking towards the coaching staff with a request to the star batter.
However, head coach Azhar Mahmood was visibly surprised to see a fan invading the restricted area and asked the security officials to take the individual. He was escorted out of Pakistan’s dressing room balcony by the security officials.
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Fan frenzy towards international stars is quite common, and we have witnessed several security breaches by individuals in an attempt to meet their favourite players and idols, as passionate supporters often let their emotions take over. At the same time, it raises serious concerns about the players’ safety and stadium security protocols.
How did Babar Azam Perform in his Test Comeback?
Babar Azam, alongside Mohammad Rizwan, was dropped from the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup 2025 due to strike rate issues. Babar and Rizwan made their international comeback in the ongoing Test series against South Africa, with the former being the center of attention on his Test return.
However, Babar Azam failed to make a significant impact as he scored 23 off 48 balls before being trapped LBW by Simon Harmer in the first innings. In the second innings, the 31-year-old improved his performance by scoring 42 off 72 balls before being trapped LBW by South African pacer Kagiso Rabada.
Despite showing glimpses of his trademark elegance, Babar couldn’t convert his starts into a big score. The Pakistan star batter will be expected to make an impact in the second and final Test of the series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 20, Monday.