Pakistan batter Babar Azam has been ruled out of the side’s first Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh. The opening game will take place at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, starting Friday. “Pakistan batter Babar Azam will not be available for the first Test match against Bangladesh due to a injury in left knee. The team’s medical panel is currently assessing his condition. Further updates will be shared in due course,” wrote the Pakistan Cricket Board in a release on the eve of the game.
Babar Azam on Saturday said he has not ruled out the possibility of accepting Pakistan’s captaincy again in the future, as the team’s interests have always driven him.
Babar last led Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies.
“The issue of captaincy is another thing. Right now, I am just focusing on the Pakistan Super League final. But if in the future such a situation arises, I will always do what is in the best interests of Pakistan cricket,” Babar said at a media conference.
Babar has been in prolific form in PSL 11, captaining Peshawar Zalmi to the final and also scoring substantial runs, including two hundreds.
Babar remained captain in all formats between 2020 and 2023 before stepping down after the ODI World Cup but later returned as national T20 captain for the 2024 World Cup, where Pakistan were eliminated in the group stages, leading to his removal as captain.
The mercurial batter said he did not pay attention to criticism as he tried to stick to basics and enjoy his cricket.
“Whether I do well or not, the criticism is there, so there is nothing I can do about it. But I get a lot of confidence from my fans and supporters, and I am really excited about doing well in the final on Sunday,” he added.
Babar said a number of emerging talents were spotted in the PSL and that they should be groomed properly.
Asked if he was worried about the prospect of facing the Marnus Labuschagne-led Hyderabad Kingsmen in the PSL final, Babar said: “Every team has its own strategy and plans, and they have done well to reach the final.
“But we have been playing consistently well, and hopefully we can do all the things right that we have done so far.”
(With PTI inputs)
Featured Video Of The Day
IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss
Topics mentioned in this article