Former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to keep the Test captain Babar Azam away from the English media during the three-Test series against England. Latif believes Babar could be put under pressure by the English media and instead requested the decision-makers to send Shan Masood to handle the journalists during the bilateral assignment.
“England tour is difficult, and the English media always tries to create new stories involving the visiting teams,” Rashid said on Geo News.
“Babar Azam has experience, but it would be better for the team management to keep him away from the media in England and send former captain Shan Masood to speak to reporters,” he added.
“Shan has played in England, and he knows how to deal with the English media,” he mentioned.
Babar returns to form before England tour
Babar Azam was among the runs in the two-Test series against the West Indies. He scored an unbeaten 58 in the second innings, but Pakistan lost the series opener by 90 runs at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. Chasing 211, the sub-continent team was dismissed for 120, with only Babar contributing with the bat. The remaining batters failed to get going.
The Pakistan skipper was at his best in the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. He amassed 88 off 147 deliveries in his team’s first innings, helping his side score 387 after the West Indies had posted 344. Babar then contributed 24 not out in 30 balls in the second innings as Pakistan completed the chase of 75 with eight wickets in hand and levelled the series 1-1.
Pakistan’s win ended their eight-match losing streak in away games and gave Babar his first away Test win since returning as leader of the side.
Pakistan will face Joe Root’s team in three five-day matches, with the first contest set to be played at Headingley in Leeds on August 19. The second Test is at Lord’s from August 27, before the action shifts to Edgbaston for the third and final Test from September 9.