Ben Stokes reacts to Babar Azam getting dropped: It is Pakistan's issue

England captain Ben Stokes dismissed concerns over Babar Azam's omission from Pakistan's squad, focusing solely on his team's preparations for the second Test, while Pakistan faces backlash over dropping three key players.

In Short

• Stokes downplayed Babar's exclusion, calling it Pakistan’s issue
• Babar failed to score a half-century in his last 18 innings
• PCB's decision followed Pakistan's defeat in the Multan Test

England Test captain Ben Stokes expressed that he isn't concerned about Babar Azam being dropped from the Pakistan squad for the second and third Tests. According to Stokes, decisions regarding Pakistan's team selection are their problem, not his. Pakistan's decision to omit key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah from the remainder of the Test series against England, following their struggles in the first Test, sent shockwaves through the cricket world. Despite this, Stokes has made it clear that he's focused on his own team and isn't giving the issue much thought.

Fans and former cricketers were quick to react to Babar Azam's exclusion, which has been termed as "resting" by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Babar, who has been going through a tough period, has failed to score a fifty in his last 18 Test innings. During the pre-match press conference, Stokes reiterated that Pakistan's choices, including the omission of Babar, Shaheen, and Naseem, are entirely their concern and not something England needs to worry about.

"Everything on that, that is Pakistan cricket's issue and has nothing to do with me," Ben Stokes said.

The PCB’s decision followed Pakistan’s heavy defeat to England in the first Test in Multan. Despite individual performances from Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, and Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan’s overall performance was criticized, especially Babar’s poor form. In the Multan Test, Babar managed just 30 and 5 runs in his two innings, extending his rough patch in Test cricket.

Whether resting Babar will help him regain his form remains to be seen. With the series continuing, Pakistan’s decision to drop their star players could either help rejuvenate the team or backfire, further affecting their chances against a strong England side.