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Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi Dropped As Pakistan Make Wholesale Changes For Final Two England Tests

Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have been dropped from 2nd and 3rd Tests (Souce@@OneCricketApp/X.com)Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have been dropped from 2nd and 3rd Tests (Souce@@OneCricketApp/X.com)

In a shocking development, Pakistan selectors have dropped their star cricketers Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed from the 16-member squad announced for the second and third Test against England. Abrar Ahmed is also not part of the squad as he is yet to recover fully from his illness.

Shan Masood though retains his captaincy and with fresh faces in the squad, the pressure would be on him to produce positive result in the second Test. This is the first call-up into the Test side for wicketkeeper batter Haseebullah and left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz. Kamran Ghulam, Sajid Khan, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood have also been included in the squad and selectors have taken bold calls after a humiliating loss in the opening Test against Multan.

Pakistan Bank On Spin-Power To Tackle England Threat

Saud Shakeel is the vice-captain of the side and he would have to take responsibility along with Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan to take the batting forward in the absence of Babar Azam. On the bowling front, Pakistan have added an extra spinner after dropping both their star bowlers, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah. Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood along with youngster Mehran Mumtaz are four frontline spinners in the squad while there are only two seamers in the squad - Aamer Jamal and Mohammad Ali.

The second Test is scheduled to start on 15th of October and will be played at the same venue, Multan Cricket Stadium. The pitch is expected to be turner and Pakistan are likely to field two or more spinners in their XI for the all-important second Test after losing the first Test by an innings and 47 runs.

Pakistan's Squad For 2nd And 3rd Test Against England

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood