Babar Azam passed fit to captain Pakistan at Lord's
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been passed fit after a hand injury and will lead the side in the second Test at Lord's.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been passed fit after a hand injury and will lead the side in the second Test against England at Lord's. Babar missed the first Test at Headingley after sustaining the injury during the West Indies tour and aggravating it in the warm-up game in Beckenham. He declared himself 90 per cent fit ahead of the Lord's match starting on Thursday.
Babar's return will bolster a batting card that collapsed twice inside 86 overs at Headingley. Pakistan are likely to retain Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman, with middle-order batter Saud Shakeel expected to be dropped from the playing XI.
England won the first Test by an innings and 103 runs. The second Test starts at Lord's on Thursday.
CricHubb Take
Babar's return changes the tactical balance at Lord's. His presence forces England to adjust their bowling plans and field placements that exploited Pakistan's middle-order fragility in the first Test.