Hasan Ali backs 'brothers' Babar, Shaheen and Naseem after Pakistan axe

Hasan Ali has backed 'brothers' and 'champions' Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah to bounce back after the trio was dropped from the Pakistan squad for the remainder of the England Test series on Sunday, October 13.

In Short

• Babar, Shaheen and Naseem were dropped for remainder of England Test series
• Hasan hailed all three men as champions
• Babar, Shaheen and Naseem flopped in Pakistan's heavy loss in 1st Test vs England

Hasan Ali has backed Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah after the star trio was axed from the Pakistan squad for the remainder of the England series on Sunday, October 13. Babar Azam has struggled for form in Test cricket since 2023, managing only 366 runs at a disappointing average of 20.33, with his highest score being 41 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

He has failed to score a half-century in his last 18 innings, with his most recent notable knock coming on December 26, 2022, when he hit 161 on Day 1 of the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi. In Pakistan's heavy defeat by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test against Multan, Babar was dismissed for just 30 and 5 in his two innings, continuing his poor run of form. Shaheen and Naseem conceded 120 and 157 runs during the first Test against England.

After the announcement was made, many have come in support of the trio, with Hasan being the latest. Taking to X, the pacer said that tough times would make the comebacks sweeter. Hasan called all three of the stars as his brothers and champions and claimed they would come back stronger.

"Tough times only make comebacks sweeter! My brothers, you're champions! You've done wonders for Pakistan and will continue do so. Keep believing and you'll be back stronger than ever, Inshallah!" said Hasan.

Why was Babar, Shaheen and Naseem axed?

Aaqib Javed disclosed that the decisions were based on the players' current form, the need to rebound in the series, and their challenging international schedule. He also emphasised that the break from international cricket will give the players time to recover their fitness, confidence, and composure. Javed assured that the PCB will provide full support to help them make a strong comeback.

“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges. They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger," said Javed.

Pakistan Squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests vs England

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-kepeer), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.