The former Pakistan cricketer, Basit Ali has backed Babar Azam to return to the national side after not being included for the second and third Test against England which caused massive shockwaves within the Pakistan cricket community.
Hours after Pakistan registered a thumping defeat at Multan for the opening game, the Pakistan Cricket Board had reconstituted a new selection committee that decided to rest the big-name stars like Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi for the following Tests.
While many were not pleased with how the PCB managed the whole situation, the team however, managed to find their groove in the second Test as they managed to level the series with a fine performance in Multan for the second Test.
Kamran Ghulam, who replaced Babar, scored a Test century on debut while the likes of Sajid Khan and Nouman Ali cleaned up the English batting unit as they shared 20 wickets.
Despite the change in fortune, Basit has backed Babar to return to the side and suggested that he has a place in the national team.
“He still has a place in the team. He will return to the team after two Test matches,” Basit said on his YouTube channel as quoted by NDTV.
But another pressing issue that the PCB needs to get a handle on is who will lead the limited-overs side after Babar decided to step down from the role days before the England Test series.
Basit Ali reckons that there are only two front-runners for the job. “Mohammad Rizwan or Salman Agha will be the next white-ball captain,” said the former Pakistan international.
The PCB is yet to make an official announcement regarding the new captain. The side will hope to gain as much clarity regarding the leadership responsibilities as early as possible as they will also look to put up a solid performance in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, hosted by Pakistan.
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