Shan Masood weighs in on Babar Azam's Test future: 'I'm nobody to say he doesn't have a future'

Babar Azam's exclusion from the Pakistan Test squad sparked intense debate during the recent series against England. Many questioned the decision, but captain Shan Masood has expressed his confidence in Babar's ability to bounce back stronger than ever. The support from his captain is sure to give Babar the motivation he needs to make a strong comeback.

Speaking on the BBC Stumped radio programme, Masood was quick to have him teammate’s back, and made clear that he expects a player of Babar’s quality to be able to emerge from this difficult situation. “I think he's one of the best batsmen in the world. I'm nobody to [say he doesn't have] a future,” said Masood. "He has every quality to be one of the greatest batsmen in Test cricket. He's always there or thereabouts in the rankings. Sometimes, people need a break."

Babar was dropped after Pakistan’s loss in the first Test of the series, as repeated failures saw Pakistan management pull the trigger on replacing their biggest-name batter. Babar had faced a tough 20-month period since the beginning of 2023, not having scored a Test century since December 2022 and not even a half-century in 18 innings. An average of just above 20 forced Kamran Ghulam to step in as replacement, who immediately scored a century on debut, batting in Babar’s number four position.

With Babar needing to hit the reset button, Masood clarified that he was still in the picture for red-ball cricket for Pakistan. “I think this break will do him a great deal of benefit and he'll come back a stronger player. There's no harm in being pulled out at times and having a breather,” said the Pakistan skipper, who got his first match and series wins during the England series. “He's played a lot of cricket and gone through a lot, and he'll always be one of the main batsmen to play for Pakistan,” he confirmed.

Babar remains a part of the white-ball squads for Pakistan, travelling with the team to Australia for the upcoming ODI and T20I series. However, he has decided to relinquish captaincy from all formats in order to focus on his batting, which may also see a positive upturn in his performances.

Pakistan begin their three-match ODI series in Melbourne on 4th November.