Is Babar Azam too big to be dropped? Decoding Pakistan cricket’s latest bombshell

Humiliation is a strong word in sports. However, many have described Pakistan’s loss to England in the first Test of a three-match series in Multan as humiliating. Following a 2-0 defeat to Bangladesh at home, Pakistan became the first team in the history of Test cricket to lose by an innings after scoring over 500 in the first innings.
Many have wondered what could possibly go wrong next for Pakistan, who have transformed from being the ‘unquiet ones’ to predictably disappointing across all formats. On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dropped a bombshell by leaving out former captain Babar Azam, along with fast bowling stars Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, for the last two Tests against England.
The decision to exclude Babar, Shaheen, Naseem, and Sarfaraz Ahmed was made by a selection committee constituted last week. This committee includes former international umpire Aleem Dar, former pacer Aqib Javed, ex-captain Azhar Ali, and analyst Hassan Cheema, who took the bold step of dropping four senior players from the squad.
Aqib Javed stated that the selection committee decided to give Babar and the others a ‘break’ to help them regain their ‘fitness, confidence, and composure’.
“Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. We’ve had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series, and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule. With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players, we’ve made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Afridi,” Javed said in a statement.
“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence, and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges. They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger,” he added.
Still unclear? Read between the lines.
Sarfaraz Khan last played a Test match in December 2023 and has only participated in two competitive fixtures since April this year. Why would he need more rest?
Reports indicate that the selection committee met with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and five mentors, appointed on a three-year contract for the Champions Cup earlier this year, before announcing the squad for the second Test. One of the mentors is Sarfaraz Ahmed himself!
Yes, Babar Azam is going through one of the leanest patches of his international career. The star batter has gone 18 innings without a fifty-plus score in Test cricket, with his last century in December 2022. Babar averaged 69.64 in 2022, with four Test hundreds and seven fifties. In the last two years, his average has dropped to 20, with a best score of 41.
No one would have batted an eyelid if Pakistan had decided to ‘rest’ or ‘drop’ Babar Azam before the Test series.
Former women’s team captain Javeria Khan astutely assessed the situation: “The decision to rest your premier players should be made at the start of the series, not in the middle. Had it been made earlier, it would have benefited the players and communicated a positive message. Apparently, these four players don’t need rest; it is the system that needs to reset its mindset,” she stated in a strongly worded post on X.
Local media reports suggested that captain Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie were not in favour of leaving out Babar Azam during such a crucial Test series. In a viral video, Gillespie was seen comforting Babar during a training session after the selection news broke.
Being dropped from the national team, particularly for a player who has been a cornerstone of the batting lineup, can be demoralising. This could lead to self-doubt and questions about his place in the team, potentially undermining his confidence further.
Many, including Pakistan’s leading white-ball batter Fakhar Zaman, questioned the board’s decision to drop Babar, highlighting how Virat Kohli was given an extended run to regain his form by the BCCI.
Kohli was never dropped from the Test team despite a lean patch between 2020 and 2022. During that time, he averaged 19.33 over three Tests in 2020, 28.21 over eleven Tests in 2021, and 26.50 in six Tests in 2022, failing to score a century.
However, India’s continued success in Tests helped Kohli avoid sustained criticism during that period.
Kohli’s situation is often cited as an example of how patience and support from team management can help a player regain form without the drastic measure of being dropped; he found his form in 2023, scoring two hundreds and lifting his average to over 50.
Players like Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson have rarely experienced slumps, thanks to incredible backing from their respective boards.
Even in previous eras, legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting faced slumps, but were never dropped in the peak of their careers. Ponting was dropped in the twilight of his career. A former chief selector said Tendulkar would have been dropped in 2012 had he not quit playing the format.
Yes, Babar Azam may be Pakistan’s best batter in the current generation, but he is far from being labelled a great. Not many have experienced a sustained dip in form in their late 20s, a period considered a cricketer’s peak.
To put it bluntly, Babar enjoyed the hype and comparisons to modern-day greats, including Virat Kohli. However, he hasn’t managed to shut out the outside noise during this period of intense scrutiny.
Babar has struggled to bounce back from his dip in form. His two innings in the first Test in Multan illustrated this, as he looked out of touch and lacking confidence, failing to capitalise on an extremely batter-friendly pitch.
The break could provide Babar with much-needed time to rest, reflect, and recuperate after two years of intense mental, emotional, and physical strain. This respite might help him recharge and return to the game with a fresh perspective and renewed energy.
Babar stepped down as captain for the second time in a year from the white-ball formats, announcing his decision just before the start of the England Tests. He faced severe criticism for Pakistan’s disappointing T20 World Cup performance earlier this year. After stepping down from all three formats following a lacklustre ODI World Cup in India last year, Babar regained captaincy from Shaheen Afridi, who was sacked after just five games.
While the captaincy reshuffle wasn’t entirely the players’ fault, Pakistan’s poor run over the last two years has impacted the star players, who have been in the media spotlight.
There have been numerous knee-jerk reactions to the PCB’s boldest decision in recent years. Dropping such high-profile players in the middle of a significant home series seems a gamble. If it works, Pakistan cricket will benefit; if it doesn’t, more drama awaits in the coming months.