A Babar Azam Lord’s Test return is all but settled, two days out from the second Test against England, after a net session Pakistan’s staff called “positive”. The captain has been sidelined by a finger injury picked up in the West Indies and aggravated when he was struck on the same finger in the tourists’ warm-up game at Beckenham, and missed the series opener at Headingley.
Umar Gul, Pakistan’s bowling coach, said Babar had batted against pace, spin and throwdowns at Lord’s on Tuesday. Gul stopped short of declaring him fit, but his inclusion is understood to be all but confirmed, ESPNcricinfo reported.
“Babar batted in the nets, faced fast bowlers, spinners and throwdowns,” Gul said. “We’re hopeful he will be available for the game and today he was looking good; he batted well in the nets. He had a full batting session.”
What the Babar Azam Lord’s Test return changes
Babar resumes a captaincy he was reappointed to before the West Indies series, with Salman Agha having led at Headingley. It will be his first time in charge of Pakistan in England, having been appointed immediately after their previous tour here in 2020. Per ESPNcricinfo he has three half-centuries in six innings in England at 65.75, and averages 53.83 across 14 innings against them. His arrival at No. 4 pushes Azan Awais out, with Shan Masood or Abdullah Shafique expected to move up and open.
The batting needs him. ESPNcricinfo records that England had to bat only once at Headingley, posting 409, and took fewer than 86 overs to bowl Pakistan out twice. Gul, who blamed a Yorkshire cold snap for his seamers’ struggles, was not banking on one returning batsman. “If you want to win a Test match, you have to perform in all departments,” he said. “Until you take 20 wickets, you can’t win a Test match.”
England, 1–0 up, begin the Lord’s Test on Thursday.
