Last Updated on 11 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Babar Azam will play in the second Test against England at Lord’s which starts on Thursday. The Pakistan captain says he is 90% fit for the second Test and rest of the series.
Babar missed the first Test at Headingley due to a hand injury suffered in the tour match. Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat by an innings and 103 runs, falling well short in all three facets of the game.
“90% fit”: Babar Azam to play at Lord’s
Speaking on the eve of the match, Babar said he’s had a couple of practice sessions in the leadup to the Lord’s Test. He admitted he is not 100% fit, but he will line up anyway according to Cricinfo.
“I had a couple of practice sessions,” Babar said. “I’m 90% fit for tomorrow and the rest of the series.”
Pakistan need a response not only to keep the series alive, but for their own pride. They were labelled as the worst Pakistan team in 50 years during the chastening defeat at Headingley, and Babar has called for a team effort in the second match.
“You need to produce complete team performances,” he said. “You have to bowl and bat in partnerships. And you have to take it deep as a batter if you’re set. If you’re set, it’s a little easier. For a new batter, it’s a little bit difficult to build partnerships.”
Babar has a key role to play. He hasn’t made a Test century since December 2022, but four fifties in the last four matches is something to build on. Also, Babar averages 53.33 in 22 Tests as captain compared to 38.78 in his remaining 42 matches.
“When you lead the Pakistan side on this ground, it’s an honour,” Babar said.
“I do my best on the field as captain and when I’m batting, I just play my game. Our stats here are good and we’d like to continue that. We will forget about the first Test and are looking forward to this one.”
