Captain Babar Azam has reportedly contracted a fever just before the third and final Test against England, intensifying difficulties for the visitors who have already lost the series. While Babar remains the team leader, his performance in the series has been underwhelming, scoring only 8 and 6 runs in the second Test at Lord's. Pakistan’s skipper missed the first Test due to injury, with Salman Agha stepping in as captain. Despite the setbacks, the team remains hopeful for Babar’s quick recovery and has urged calm amid turbulent times.
The crisis for Pakistan deepened as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued show cause notices to selection committee members regarding the controversial picks of players Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan for the tours of West Indies and England. The selection committee, including former players like Aaqib Javed, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Asad Shafiq, has been given 24 hours to respond. Notably, Misbah has already tendered his resignation, which the board has yet to accept.
The turmoil escalated when PCB recalled seven players, including Rizwan and Imam, from England mid-series and relieved several coaches, including head coach Sarfraz Ahmed. Former cricketers openly criticized these decisions. Shahid Afridi questioned the logic of recalling players and the suitability of the replacements, labeling some as T20 specialists. Ramiz Raja echoed concerns, suggesting Pakistan cricket has hit a panic button, especially with replacements who lack Test cricket experience. Mohammed Yusuf also highlighted the administrative chaos, emphasizing the need for the team to focus on cricket rather than boardroom politics.
The final Test match is scheduled in Birmingham starting September 9. Pakistan faces the challenge of overcoming internal issues and on-field struggles to perform strongly in the concluding game.