Former cricketer Basit Ali has come out in support of Babar Azam, advocating for his swift return to the Pakistan cricket team, despite his exclusion from the squad for the second and third home Tests against England. The decision, made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was announced soon after Pakistan’s significant loss by an innings and 47 runs in the opening Test.
Babar’s omission led to a mixed reaction among cricket veterans and fans, with many surprised while others saw it as expected due to Babar’s current form, having failed to score a fifty in the last 18 Test innings. In his place, Kamran Ghulam shone with a century on debut, making Babar’s potential return a topic of intense discussion despite his struggles.
Ali expressed confidence in Babar’s return after the conclusion of the ongoing Test series. Additionally, Babar’s resignation from the white-ball captaincy has left the PCB with another leadership conundrum. Basit suggests Mohammad Rizwan or Salman Agha as potential candidates for the role. Babar’s captaincy tenure witnessed highs, including leading Pakistan to two T20 World Cup semi-finals, before a decline in team performance led to his resignation and the reinstatement of Shaheen Shah Afridi as the captain.
