“Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now”: Virender Sehwag makes explosive verdict

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag criticized Pakistan batsman Babar Azam’s recent performance in international cricket and asked him to work on his fitness. Ahead of the second Test match against England in Multan, the Pakistan selection committee surprised everyone by excluding former Pakistan captain Babar Azam from the last two long-format matches of the series against the Three Lions. Kamran Ghulam received his first Test cap and was placed in Babar’s position as Pakistan attempted to level the series. The batting all-rounder was criticized by some fans before and during the Test.

Despite a difficult period, the 29-year-old showed courage and resilience against a strong England bowling line-up to keep Pakistan in the thick of things. He kept the opponents on their toes with a series of shots and smashed 118 off 124 balls.

On Shoaib Akhtar’s official YouTube channel, Sehwag said that Babar should participate in domestic cricket now and then and then make a comeback in international cricket as a mentally stronger player.

“Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, spend some time with family and then return to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player,” Sehwag said.

The former Indian cricketer added that the former Pakistan captain is more mentally affected. The 46-year-old also urged Babar to be mentally strong.

“Given the falling expectations of Babar and his resignation from the captaincy, it appears that he is more mentally impaired than technically. He has to stay mentally strong. He is a talented player and players like him tend to bounce back quickly,” he added.

While Ghulam’s batting set the tone of the Test for Pakistan, it was Noman Ali and Sajid Khan who determined the outcome with their spin skills.

The duo took all 20 wickets in the second Test, leaving England completely stumped. While Sajid starred in the first innings with a performance of 7/111, in the second innings Noman deserved the praise for his magnificent performance of 8/46.

With a 125-run win, Pakistan leveled the series at 1-1 and brought the series decider to Rawalpindi from October 24.