PCB defends decision to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah | Cricket News

Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: The decision to leave out the top quartet for the final two Test matches against England – batter Babar Azam, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, and elite pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah-was supported by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
After suffering a historic loss by an innings and 47 runs in the first game of the series, Pakistan declared on Sunday that it was replacing its established stars with younger players, a move that caught the cricket world off guard.
According to the PCB, the decision to drop players from the team was made with Pakistan’s cricket team’s best interests in mind, as The News was cited by Geo News.
According to a PCB spokesman, the players were “spared from the team to give them rest so that they can come back afresh,” supporting the board’s decision.
The PCB’s announcement of the decision to reorganize the men’s selection committee before the decision. The selection committee has nominated Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, Azhar Ali, and Hassan Cheema as its new members.
The four seasoned players have been replaced by Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Ali, an off-spinner, Haseebullah, and Kamran Ghulam, who is yet to receive a Test cap.
Initially included in the 16-player squad for the first Test were spinners Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood. However, as Pakistan revealed the playing XI for the first Test, they were dropped from the team.
The PCB representative went on to provide further details on the choice, saying that the selection committee faced a difficult task in choosing the team while carefully evaluating each player’s current form.
“The PCB believes that each of Haseebullah, Mehran, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, Noman, Sajid and Zahid have the ability to rise to the occasion and serve the team in the remaining two Tests,” he added while underscoring the PCB’s focus on developing the next generation of our Test players too and this series was a good chance to induct young blood.
In the second Test, which begins in Multan on Tuesday, Shan Masood will lead Pakistan.