Babar Azam down with fever before Edgbaston Test: Details here
What's the story
Adding to further turmoil in Pakistan cricket, captain Babar Azam is unwell with a fever, Geo News reported. The news comes just days before the third Test match against England at Edgbaston, starting September 9. Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema confirmed that while Babar is unwell, there is no need to panic as he remains fit overall and should recover quickly.
Team changes
Major overhaul in Pakistan squad for Edgbaston Test
The news of Babar's illness comes as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a major overhaul in its squad for the Edgbaston Test.
This followed Pakistan's disappointing performance in the first two Tests, at Headingley and Lord's, respectively.
Thereafter, the PCB dropped seven players from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
New additions
Five uncapped players added to Pakistan squad
Along with the experienced players, Pakistan have also added five uncapped players to their squad.
These include Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah.
The PCB has also brought in Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke from its white-ball coaching setup as head coach and bowling coach, respectively, for this Test series against England.
Meanwhile, Misbah-ul-Haq has offered his resignation from the Pakistan men's national selection committee. The board is yet to accept Misbah's resignation.
Form
Babar looked patchy at Lord's
Babar missed the series opener at Headingley after sustaining a hand injury.
His return at Lord's boosted Pakistan's batting line-up, which had been underperforming.
However, it didn't make a difference as Babar was dismissed for 8 and 6 at the Home of Cricket.
In a press conference ahead of the match, Babar said he was "90% fit" and felt comfortable going into the game.