Along with Babar, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed were rested as well.
Pakistan Test coach Jason Gillespie and captain Shan Masood are reportedly unhappy after Babar Azam was rested for the rest of the Test series against England. Along with Babar, pacers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi and veteran Sarfaraz Ahmed were also rested.
The new PCB selection panel comprising Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, and Azhar Ali, along with Hassan Cheema and Asad Shafiq, took this decision.
The PCB issued a statement clarifying that the selectors examined "the current form and fitness of key players" before excluding the three most prominent players.
The PCB's decision provoked widespread criticism on social media, particularly when captain Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie appealed for continuity in selection despite a string of losses, including a humiliating whitewash at home against Bangladesh in late August.
Meanwhile, in a viral video on social media, coach Jason Gillespie was seen discussing something with Babar Azam. Although the video, released by 'Events & Happenings Sports' on YouTube, had no audio clarifying the conversation between Gillespie and Babar, the clip did show that he looked disgruntled and baffled.
Then assistant coach Azhar Mahmood and captain Shan Masood are consoling Babar, who seemed upset, before entering the pavilion.
Here is the video:
Babar's loss of form has been well documented. The former Pakistan captain, who was in Multan on Sunday and was seen conversing with his teammates and assessing the pitch, had last scored a half-century or more against England in December 2022, with a 161-run knock in Karachi. During the period, he only scored 366 runs at 20.33.