Pakistan’s problems mount as captain Babar Azam falls ill amid team's horror show in England

A challenging English summer has taken another turn for the worse for Babar Azam, who is currently sidelined with a high fever ahead of Pakistan’s third Test at Edgbaston. The news comes on the heels of a forgettable performance at Lord’s, where the 31-year-old managed total scores of just 14 runs across both innings during Pakistan’s heavy 194-run defeat.

Babar Azam struck by fever ahead of 3rd Test

The captain’s sudden illness adds to the turbulence surrounding the visiting side. In the wake of back-to-back losses, the PCB executed a radical squad and staff overhaul, sacking head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, releasing seven squad members, and putting Mike Hesson in charge for the final Test. Team media manager Naveed Akram Cheema confirmed Babar’s condition but minimized alarm, assuring that the illness appears temporary.

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Still, the fever arrives at a moment of mounting pressure for Babar personally. Having already missed the Leeds Test with a hand injury, his recent sub-par outing at Lord’s leaves him searching for rhythm, with his last three-figure score in Test cricket dating back to December 2022.

Seeking a complete fresh start for the third Test at Edgbaston, the PCB dropped seven players—Imam-ul-Haq, Awais Zafar, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Aga, Aamir Jamal, Ali Usman, and Khurram Shahzad. In their place, a new wave of talent has been drafted into the squad, featuring Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Mohammad Imran Jr, and Saad Baig.

The broom swept through the backroom staff as well, marking a dramatic shift in team leadership. The PCB parted ways with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, immediately bringing in white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke to take over management of the red-ball squad.

It has been a disastrous tour of England for Pakistan, who find themselves 2-0 down after two brutal performances. An innings-and-103-run loss at Headingley was compounded by a 194-run defeat at Lord’s, with Pakistan failing to break the 200-run barrier in a single innings so far. The misfiring top and middle order have laid bare the deep structural issues within their batting unit.

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Heading into the final Test at Edgbaston on September 9, Pakistan's immediate goal is simple yet steep: avert a complete 0-3 series whitewash. All eyes are on Babar Azam to recover from his bout of fever and lead from the front with the bat. With two weeks of off-field turbulence and on-field failures putting the coaching staff and management on notice, Pakistan enter the series finale with their backs firmly against the wall.

Pakistan's squad for 3rd Test vs England:

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