Babar Azam Hit By Fever Ahead Of Third England Test in Birmingham

Babar Azam’s availability for Pakistan’s final Test against England has become a concern after the captain came down with a high fever. The third match of the series will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham from September 9 to 13.

Pakistan are already dealing with a tough situation after their 194-run defeat at Lord’s. Things have become even more difficult following the PCB’s sudden changes to the team. The decision to remove head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and leave seven players out has added to the pressure around the squad.

Babar has also found himself in the spotlight after failing to make a big impact with the bat in the previous Test. He managed scores of just eight and six in the two innings. According to sources, the Pakistan captain is now dealing with a high fever as the team prepares for the final Test of the series.

Pakistan team media manager Naveed Akram Cheema confirmed Babar Azam’s illness when asked about the batter’s condition. He said the captain himself had told him that he was suffering from a fever.

Cheema also played down the situation and said there was no reason to worry. According to him, Babar is otherwise fit and should recover from the fever soon.

For the unversed, the Pakistan Test squad has gone through major changes before the final match in Birmingham. The board has dropped several players from the squad after they failed to perform in the first two matches of the England series.

Interestingly, the coaching staff has not been spared either. Sarfaraz Ahmed is no longer the head coach, while bowling coach Gul has also been removed. Mike Hesson, who is Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, will take over the head coach duties, with Ashley Noffke coming in as the new bowling coach.

Updated Pakistan Squad for Third Test Against England

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper) Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.