Babar Azam suffers from fever amid chaos in Pakistan's Test squad

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is down with fever ahead of the 3rd Test vs England. Amid this, the PCB announced a major shake-up, dropping seven players and two coaches after losing the series 0-2, hoping to avoid a whitewash at Edgbaston.

Babar Azam's Fitness Concern

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is suffering from fever amid chaos around the shake-up within the men's squad ahead of the third Test against England at Edgbaston, reported Geo News.

The team manager Naveed Akram Cheema confirmed to Geo News that while Babar was suffering from fever, there is no need to panic as he stays fit overall, with a quick recovery expected. This development comes as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a major shake-up ahead of the Edgbaston Test from September 9 onwards, with Pakistan hoping to save face and avoid a whitewash.

Babar scored just eight and six at Lord's as Pakistan fell to a loss by 194 runs. The Pakistan skipper missed the first Test due to injury, with Salman Ali Agha taking the captaincy armband. Babar had a solid tour of the West Indies with the bat, scoring 193 runs in two matches, including two fifties as Pakistan drew the series 1-1, with Babar's re-appointment as Test captain getting a mixed bag start. The Pakistan batter has not touched three figures in Tests since 161 against New Zealand in December 2022.

Major Squad and Coaching Overhaul

Pakistan made major changes to their Test set-up ahead of the third and final Test against England from September 9, replacing almost half of their squad and releasing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul following heavy defeats in the first two Tests against Three Lions, according to Cricinfo.

The changes come after Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat in the second Test, allowing England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. In the first Test, Pakistan had lost by an innings margin.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have released seven players from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. Pakistan have brought in five uncapped players along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have a combined experience of just 10 matches. The five uncapped players added to the squad are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah.

Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who are part of Pakistan's white- ball coaching set-up as head coach and bowling coach respectively, have also joined the Test coaching staff, the report added.

Misbah-ul-Haq Resigns From Selection Committee

Earlier, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq offered his resignation from the Pakistan men's national selection committee following the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to make major changes to the Test squad and coaching staff during the ongoing tour of England, according to Cricinfo.

According to the report, the PCB is yet to accept Misbah's resignation. He has also decided to step down from his role as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

Misbah, who retired as Pakistan's most successful Test captain in 2017, has held several positions within the PCB over the years. He was appointed head coach and chief selector in 2019. before stepping down as chief selector in October 2020 to focus on his coaching responsibilities. He later resigned as head coach in 2021. In 2023, Misbah returned to the PCB as an advisor under then ad hoc management committee chief Zaka Ashraf. He was subsequently appointed as one of five mentors for the men's Champions Cup in 2024 and also worked with women's domestic teams. Last month, he coached the Pakistan Gold side to victory in the 50-over National Champions Cup in Multan under captain Shaheen Afridi.

Misbah was appointed to the four-member national selection committee in March this year alongside Aaqib Javed, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq. He was also working with the PCB under a contract that required him to serve as a batting consultant for 180 days a year.

Selectors Under Scrutiny

PCB sought explanations from selectors over the inclusion of Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq. According to Cricinfo, the notice was issued on Monday, the same day the board announced its decision to send home seven players and two coaches ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston The selection committee was asked to submit a written explanation within 24 hours, detailing the reasons behind Rizwan and Imam's selections and the process followed in making the decisions.

From the start of 2024 until the West Indies tour, Rizwan was Pakistan's leading Test run-scorer and also boasted the team's highest batting average. Imam, meanwhile, had featured in only two Tests during that period but had been among the leading run-scorers in domestic cricket.

Pakistan Aim to Avoid Whitewash

The defeat at Lord's was Pakistan's 15th in the last 20 Tests. They currently sit at the bottom of the 1CC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings.

The third Test will begin at Edgbaston on September 9, with Pakistan aiming to end the series on a positive note and avoid a 3-0 clean sweep.

Pakistan squad for Birmingham Test against England:

Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Ubaid Shah. (ANI)

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