Pakistan finally made their comeback as they defeated England with ease to register a victory by 152 runs in Multan. However, the team selection before the match had many critics of the team regarding some key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah, all of whom did not get a chance for that match. Azhar Mahmood, assistant coach, said the three players were rested in preparation for white-ball tours and this generated controversy as they were among the senior players of Pakistan’s Test team.

Should Babar Azam Return To Domestic Cricket?

“Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, spend some time with family, then come back to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player,” said Sehwag on Shoaib Akhtar’s Youtube Channel.

While victory has provided some justification to the selection decisions, it has only raised further questions on Babar’s future with the team. Babar, the captain of Pakistan, witnessed a sharp slump in form in this WTC cycle when he could muster an average of only 22.66 in five Tests last year and 18.50 in four Tests in 2024. Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag felt that Babar should return to domestic cricket to regain his form.

Babar Needs To Stay Mentally Strong

“With expectations from Babar decreasing and his resignation from captaincy, it seems he has been more impacted mentally than in terms of technique. He needs to stay mentally strong. He’s a talented player, and players like him tend to bounce back quickly,” Sehwag added.

Babar’s tenure hasn’t been a bed of roses; he lost Pakistan’s status as an all-format captain following the country had a poorly run 2023 World Cup, but was reinstated after being replaced by Shaheen Afridi as T20I skipper for a short period in March. Again, Babar resigned in October after Pakistan failed miserably at the T20 World Cup.