‘Absolutely stupid decision’ – Michael Vaughan reflects on Pakistan dropping Babar Azam from Test squad

Babar Azam. (Source – Getty Images)

Pakistan Cricket recently announced the shocking news that star batter Babar Azam will be dropped from the side’s upcoming Test match against England. It is worth noting that Pakistan kicked off the series against England with a loss in the first Test in Multan.

The decision to drop Babar was followed by major criticism from several experts. Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan was among those who could not understand the decision. Taking to X, Vaughan opined that unless Babar Azam has asked for some time off, it is a stupid decision by the PCB to drop one of their best batters, who is out of form at the moment. 

“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 !!!” Vaughan tweeted. 

We are fully committed to supporting them: Aaqib Javed

It is worth noting that apart from Babar, Pakistan dropped Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed from the second Test against England. Explaining his decision, Aaqib Javed from the selection panel reflected on how the break could be good for the players. 

“Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. We’ve had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule,” Javed was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. 

“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges. They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger,” he added.