Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Babar Azam, faced a challenging practice net session against young pacer Ubaid Shah, the brother of Naseem Shah. The session, which also involved batter Fakhar Zaman, saw both senior players struggling against the young bowler.
The pressure on Babar has been mounting due to his recent performances, which have failed to inspire confidence in his leadership and batting. This pressure was further exacerbated when a video surfaced online showing Babar and Fakhar finding it difficult to handle Ubaid’s deliveries.
In the viral video, 18-year-old Ubaid Shah was seen bowling impressively to Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman. The clip begins with Babar leaving the first ball, a sharp in-swinger that whizzed past the top of the off-stump. Ubaid’s reaction, with his head in his hands, indicated he had almost forced Babar into a mistake. He also managed to beat Fakhar’s outside edge with a well-pitched delivery.
The most notable moment came when Babar attempted a pull shot from an awkward length delivery and received a nasty blow to his ribs, leaving him writhing in pain. This incident added fuel to the ongoing debate about Babar’s current form and fitness levels.
The Pakistani team has a packed schedule ahead, starting in August with a two-Test series against Bangladesh at home, marking the first red-ball series under newly-appointed coach Jason Gillespie. England will visit Pakistan for three Tests in Multan (October 7-11), Karachi (October 15-19), and Rawalpindi (October 24-28). The West Indies will follow with two Tests in Karachi (January 16-20) and Multan (January 24-28).
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