Pakistan captain Babar Azam is dealing with a fever just days before the third Test against England at Edgbaston on September 9. Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema tried to calm any worries saying Babar’s overall fitness is fine and he should recover soon.
This bit of news lands as the Pakistan Cricket Board shakes things up after falling 0-2 in the series. The board made a big call—dropping seven players and two coaches. On top of that, former captain Misbah-ul-Haq has offered to resign from the selection committee.
Manager Cheema told reporters there’s no need for panic over Babar’s illness. He expects him back on his feet before the match.
Babar hasn’t had the best time in this series. He scored just 8 and 6 in the second Test at Lord’s, where Pakistan lost by a huge 194 runs. He missed the first Test because of injury, so Salman Ali Agha captained in his place.
Babar actually did well on the West Indies tour, scoring 193 runs in two Tests, including a couple of half-centuries. But his last Test century goes back to December 2022, against New Zealand, when he hit 161.
The PCB’s reaction to these heavy defeats has been ruthless. They cut Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad from the squad. Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings, then got thrashed again in the second. England now leads the three-match series and can’t lose.
Changes hit the coaching staff, too. Head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and bowling coach Umar Gul are out. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke will step in for the third Test.
Five uncapped players have a shot in Edgbaston: Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jr., Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal also get a call-up. The two of them together have only ten Tests between them.
The overhaul rattled Misbah enough to prompt his resignation from the selection committee—though the PCB hasn’t accepted it yet. He’s also leaving his role as batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Misbah was part of a four-member selection panel with Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Asad Shafiq.
The board wants answers about Rizwan and Imam’s original selection, asking the selectors for a written explanation within 24 hours on why those two were picked.
Results haven’t been kind to Pakistan. The loss at Lord’s was their fifteenth defeat in the last 20 Tests. Right now, they’re stuck at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship standings. Now, their main goal: avoid a 3-0 whitewash when the third Test kicks off at Edgbaston.
Pakistan squad for 3rd Test: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Junior, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique and Ubaid Shah.