‘Rest Babar, axe Saim’: Cricket legend lashes out at Pakistan's misfiring players

Star Pakistani batter Babar Azam's struggles in Test cricket continued as he was dismissed for just five runs off 15 balls in the second innings of the first Test against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

Having only managed 30 runs in the first innings, Babar edged a delivery from Gus Atkinson to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith at a crucial juncture on day four. Adding to Pakistan's woes, Brydon Carse dismissed Saim Ayub on his first ball of the next over, leaving Pakistan in a precarious position at 41 for 4.

Following Pakistan’s dismal batting performance in the second innings, former Test opener Sadiq Mohammad suggested that Babar should be rested while Saim Ayub should be dropped for the upcoming two Tests against England after the crushing defeat in the series opener on Friday.

"Babar is struggling, and Saim's concentration isn't sufficient for Test cricket. The best approach would be to rest Babar and drop Saim," Sadiq said in an interview with Nukta.

Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique opening the innings for Pakistan against England in the Multan Test.PCB

Sadiq particularly expressed frustration over Saim's dismissal in the second innings, criticizing the poor shot selection.

"It was a dreadful shot, particularly in a situation where the team is struggling. Such a mistake is unacceptable; he urgently needs to improve his concentration, which is crucial for Test cricket," he added.

He recommended that the selectors consider Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, or Kamran Ghulam as potential replacements and urged the team management to allow both Babar and Saim to play four-day matches to regain their form.

What’s wrong with Babar Azam?

Babar's last score of 50 or more dates back to December 26, 2022, when he scored 161 runs in the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi. Since then, he has batted 18 times in Tests, accumulating 366 runs at an average of 20.33, with a top score of 41 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Sadiq pointed out the weaknesses in Babar's batting technique, which are contributing to his recent poor performance in Test cricket.

"Babar has been facing difficulties in red-ball cricket, failing to convert promising starts into substantial scores. He often gets out between 30 and 40 runs. His bat angle when playing on the onside and offside appears problematic. If your shot goes towards backward point, it indicates an issue with your bat angle. I would notice when my shot went in that direction," he explained.

Pakistan batters crumble under pressure

With England leading by 267 runs after their first innings total of 823/7 declared, Chris Woakes made an immediate impact by taking a wicket with his first ball, dismissing a fatigued Abdullah Shafique, who had been fielding for 150 overs.

The 79-year-old said that while Abdullah played a textbook shot, the ball sneaked through the gap to hit the stumps, emphasizing that it wasn't necessarily a poor shot. "It wasn’t a bad shot from the opener," he said.

He also added that conceding such a substantial lead added pressure on the batting lineup.

"Our team fielded for approximately a day and a half, resulting in fatigue, while the English bowlers were well-rested, allowing them to capitalize on our weaknesses during the final session of the fourth day's play, putting them in a commanding position," he said.

The former cricketer highlighted the team's bowling situation, stating that they were one bowler short, which significantly impacted their performance.

Abrar Ahmed during a practice session before the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan.PCB

Abrar Ahmed was hospitalized due to fever and unable to bowl on the fourth day, leaving Pakistan with only four bowlers, including Agha Salman, who is primarily a batting all-rounder.

Sadiq also criticized the scheduling of the Champions Cup in Faisalabad, arguing that it hampered the team's preparation for the challenging series against England.

"Given the tough series ahead, a longer training camp would have been beneficial for players to practice adequately for the Tests. Instead, the entire team was engaged in the Champions Cup, which adversely affected their red-ball preparation, starting only on October 1 for a match that was supposed to commence on October 7. I question the planning behind this," he concluded.

The second Test of the series will also take place in Multan from October 15-19.