Babar Azam To Miss Second Test As Injury Lingers On

Pakistan captain Babar Azam is likely to miss out on the second test of the New Zealand tour on account of his thumb injury which had him ruled out of the T20 as well as the first test match against the Kiwis.

Pakistan men’s national team captain Babar Azam will miss the second Test against New Zealand, which commences at the Hagley Oval from Sunday. In his absence, Mohammad Rizwan will lead the side, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a press release.

Babar had a full-fledged training session yesterday but felt a slight pain in his thumb, following which, the team management has opted against taking any risk, it added.

Babar had to sit out the three-T20I series and the first Test, at Mount Maunganui, after he fractured his right thumb during a net session in the lead-up to the white-ball series, said the PCB.

The press release further added that Pakistan’s cricket team doctor Dr. Sohail Saleem: “We have seen improvement in Babar Azam’s injury but he is yet to fully recover. He is our captain and the most important batsman in the lineup, so we do not want to take any risk.

“The medical team is constantly reviewing his injury and we are hopeful he will be available for the home series against South Africa.”

As per the official press release, the squad for team includes Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wicketkeeper), Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah and Zafar Gohar.

Pakistan has fallen flat during the ongoing series against New Zealand as the side’s batting order has failed to hold their own against the Kiwi pacers.

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