‘Players rested in best interest of Pak cricket’

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that four top players including former captain Babar Azam have been spared from the team to give them rest so that they could make a comeback afresh.

The PCB Spokesman said that Babar Azam is the best batsman of his generation and the PCB wants a mentally refreshed Babar to represent the Pakistan side in future. He added that selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. They had to carefully consider current players’ form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule. With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket as well as the players, it was decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi. The spokesman said that at the same time, the PCB is offering opportunities to the youngsters and domestic performers to showcase their skills against a formidable England side.

“The PCB believes that each of Haseebullah, Mehran, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, Noman, Sajid and Zahid have the ability to rise to the occasion and serve the team in the remaining two Tests.” He added that the PCB had to focus on developing the next generation of our Test players too and this series was a good chance to induct young blood.