Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were axed from the Pakistan squad for England Tests.
In a surprise move, Pakistan dropped Babar Azam, pacer Shaheen Afridi, and youngster Naseem Shah from their squad for the second Test against England.
The PCB selection committee, comprising Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, and Azhar Ali, took the call after meeting chairman Mohsin Naqvi and mentors on Saturday.
It came despite skipper Shan Masood backing Babar as Pakistan’s best batter and insisting on giving opportunities.
Babar has endured a slump, registering only 30 and 5 runs in the Multan Test on a batting paradise. Hours after the defeat, PCB formed a new selection panel.
The committee also met Masood, coach Jason Gillespie, and curator Tony Hemming in the aftermath of Multan’s extremely road-like pitch facing scrutiny.
While Babar’s omission is a big surprise, the duo of Shaheen and Naseem – who went wicketless in the first Test – also paid the price.
The developments have surely sent shockwaves, with the series on the line at 1-0 heading into the second Test, which begins on December 9th.
