Pakistan faced a historic defeat against the visiting England side in the first Test at Multan.

Following the crushing loss, the PCB moved swiftly to address the team’s issues, announcing the formation of a new selection committee before announcing the squad for the remainder of the series.

The most dramatic development ahead of the second Test is the exclusion of star batter Babar Azam. Babar has struggled for form in Test cricket over the last two years. His most recent half-century came in 2022, and his prolonged slump has forced the selection committee to consider dropping him. The decision came after the selection committee’s meeting following the loss.

The committee included former cricketers Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, and Azhar Ali, alongside renowned former ICC umpire Aleem Dar and cricket analyst Hassan Cheema. The captain and head coach are also part of the selection committee. This revamped selection panel has been tasked with turning around Pakistan’s fortunes ahead of the second Test.

However, Babar was one of many players to face the axe. Several other changes were made to the squad, with star pace duo Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah both being ‘rested’ alongside Sarfaraz Ahmed, while Abrar Ahmed misses out due to illness. Sajid Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, and Mohammad Ali come into the squad, replacing the bowlers, while Haseebullah and Kamran Ghulam replace Sarfaraz and Babar.

It has also been decided that the second Test will be played on the same pitch the first Test was played on. It will be curated to assist spin from the very first day. The head curator, Tony Hemming, is expected to prepare a turner that would heavily favor spin bowling from the outset.

Squad (for 2nd and 3rd Tests):

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.

Out: Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ahmed
In: Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Haseebullah