'Absolutely Stupid': Michael Vaughan Slams PCB Over Decision To Drop Babar Azam For Remaing Matches Of PAK vs ENG Test Series

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, now a cricket expert, expressed his outrage on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to drop Babar Azam for the final two Tests in the ongoing three-match series against England. Vaughan was shocked by the decision, stating that while Pakistan cricket is known for its surprises, dropping the team's best player when they are 1-0 down in the series is the most surprising of all. He called it a "stupid decision."

Vaughan tweeted “So Pakistan haven’t won in a while… Go 1 nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player in @babarazam258. I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises, but this tops the lot.. absolutely stupid decision.. unless he has asked for a break !!!” 

Babar, who has not scored a fifty in his last 18 Test innings, managed only 30 and 5 runs in the first Test, which Pakistan lost by an innings and 47 runs in Multan last week. In addition to Babar, pacers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, along with former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, were also left out of the last two Tests, set to take place in Multan and Rawalpindi.

PCB on decision to drop Babar Azam

According to the PCB's announcement, the decision to rest Babar, Naseem, Sarfaraz, and Shaheen was made considering their current form and fitness, as well as Pakistan's future commitments in the 2024-25 international season. Abrar Ahmed, who is recovering from dengue fever, was unavailable for selection.

The four players will be replaced by uncapped players Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, along with fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the first Test squad but later released, have also been included in the 16-player squad.