Pakistan suffer Babar Azam blow ahead of first Bangladesh Test
What's the story
The Pakistan cricket team will be without star batter Babar Azam for the first Test match against Bangladesh. The game is set to begin on May 8 in Dhaka. The decision comes after a sudden left knee injury forced him out of the match. Babar had arrived in Bangladesh on May 4, just hours after leading Peshawar Zalmi to victory in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final.
Injury details
Babar suffers knee injury
Babar trained for two days in Dhaka without any signs of discomfort. However, on Thursday morning, he woke up with pain in his left knee. After consulting with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) medical team, it was decided that he would not play in the first Test match. "Pakistan batter Babar Azam will not be available for the first Test match against Bangladesh due to an injury in left knee," PCB said in a statement. "The team's medical panel is currently assessing his condition. Further updates will be shared in due course," it added.
Team adjustments
Who will bat at No.3?
With Babar out, Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood are likely to open the innings. Either Azam Awais or Abdullah Fazal will replace him at No. 3. Both players are yet to make their debuts for Pakistan. There is also a chance that both could feature in the playing XI, with Mohammad Rizwan or Saud Shakeel moving up the order to accommodate seam-bowling all-rounder Amad Butt.
Recent performance
Babar was in sublime form during PSL 2026
The injury comes as a major setback for Pakistan, especially since Babar was in great form with the bat. He had led PSL 2026 winners Peshawar Zalmi as captain and was also the tournament's highest run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 games, including two centuries. This will be the first time that Babar has missed an away Test since January 2021.