Pakistan’s talismanic captain Babar Azam has been cleared to play in the second Test against New Zealand starting in Christchurch on Sunday...
Pakistan’s talismanic captain Babar Azam has been cleared to play in the second Test against New Zealand starting in Christchurch on Sunday but has not been confirmed in the team.
“He has batted very well in the nets and he’s fine now but he wants to hit some more today and we’ll find out tomorrow,” Mohammad Rizwan, who captained the side in the first Test, said as the team practised on Saturday.
Babar has not played on the tour since breaking a thumb during a practice session after completing their Covid-enforced 14-day quarantine on arrival in New Zealand.
Rizwan described Babar as Pakistan’s Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain whose first-innings century laid the foundation for their 101-run victory in the first Test.
“He’s cleared but he wants to take some more time. If he plays he has a great impact on our team. Williamson batted very solid... Babar Azam has the same role in our team. The result may have been different if Babar was playing.”
In a tense finish, New Zealand won the first Test with 27 balls to spare and Williamson acknowledged Azam would have strengthened Pakistan.
“He’s one of the best players in the world. He obviously adds a lot,” Williamson said.
“We saw how challenging it is against this...
