The entire cricketing world came to a shocking standstill as Pakistan cracked the whip on their players, dropping former captain Babar Azam alongside pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah for the remainder of the three-match series against England.
Sarfaraz Ahmed was also dropped by the PCB, who stated the decision was taken after considering the form and fitness of their “key players” keeping in mind the future assignments.
The new PCB selectors that include former fast bowler Aaqib Javed and retired umpire Aleem Dar felt it was time for Babar to be sidelined due to his poor form and lack of confidence.
On the other hand, the report further claims that the duo of Shaheen and Naseem may have withdrawn their names citing niggles to avoid the embarrassment of being dropped.
The internet went berserk over the decision, with masses split between whether the call made was positive or negative.
Reacting to reports of star cricketer Babar Azam being dropped from Test team, Fakhar Zaman, in a social media post on Sunday, had cautioned the selectors against making any such decisions while drawing comparisons with India superstar Virat Kohli.
It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan…— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) October 13, 2024
For a good chunk of the fans, it was shocking for them to witness the PCB drop their ‘future superstars’ due to a run of bad form, and were emphathetic towards the dropped players.
Shaheen Babar Naseem who were supposed to be our future superstars have been dropped from squad at the peak of their career, who would’ve thought that— Haroon (@ThisHaroon) October 13, 2024
dropping babar, naseem & shaheen, arguably 3 of your most imp Test players in the past few years, has to be either a social experiment to check how long the fans will stay or a reverse psychology thing to make fans respect & value them more. otherwise it’s all very dystopian icl— zoha (@zchishtii) October 13, 2024
We have made a mockery of ourselves in the world of cricket.Systems that don’t respect players like Babar Azam should really not have players like him. No athlete can ever perform with an exhausted mindset, leg pulling, social media trials, and pressure to perform all the…
— Javeria Khan (@ImJaveria) October 13, 2024
Others were not so kind, reinstating that the lack of form has been a constant issue and that the only way for Pakistan cricket to grow would be to hold eveyone accountable when they fail to deliver.
Babar Azam test average has now dropped to 43.92It will drop further when he plays in SANaseem Shah anyways averages 35 in tests in ballSo don’t careBut Shaheen Afridi still averages 27 in tests with a 53SR & 2+IPWHe needs to play more tests to get that average to 30+ https://t.co/xsMlR8WaVc
— Renessan {SINLESSAN} (@SINLESSAN) October 13, 2024
Babar Azam since this post:– Sacked from captaincy twice– 0 away POTM awards– 0 sixes in Asia Cup & T20 WC 2022– 0 fifties in Test Cricket since Dec 2022– Exposed vs USA/IRE/BAN/AFG & in home tests
Finally dropped from Pakistan test team. pic.twitter.com/Cko5MKJpJf
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) October 13, 2024
Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi & Naseem Shah have been dropped from the Test line-up. Not that they are the victims, they have been the culprits, such has been their show burdened with ignominious averages & failure to perform.Still more important is to ascertain, leaving… pic.twitter.com/uKNcbl2pwX
— Dr. Nauman Niaz (@DrNaumanNiaz) October 13, 2024
Pakistan squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.
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