Babar Azam down with high fever amid PCB fiasco ahead of 3rd Test vs England

Adding to an already chaotic situation within the touring contingent, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has fallen ill with a high fever as the squad prepares for the third Test against England at Edgbaston. This physical setback arrives on the heels of a heavy 194 run thrashing at Lord's, where the skipper recorded scores of eight and six runs, managing only 14 runs across his innings during the match and failing to touch three figures in the format since hitting 161 against New Zealand in December 2022. Having missed the opening fixture of the series due to an injury that temporarily handed the leadership armband to Salman Ali Agha, his current health concern piles extra pressure onto a side already reeling from unprecedented turmoil.

Detailing the underlying factors behind his condition, a report from Geo News stated, 'According to highly credible sources, Pakistan captain Babar, who was dismissed for eight and six runs in the Lord's Test, is under considerable pressure following the team's defeat and the decision to send the head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and seven players back to the country, and has now been suffering from a high fever.'

Despite mounting anxiety among supporters, team media manager Naveed Akram Cheema maintained a calm stance regarding the situation. Addressing concerns about the skipper, Cheema insisted there was 'no need to panic' and expressed confidence that the 31 year old batsman will regain his health ahead of the match scheduled for September 9, though the atmosphere surrounding the team hotel remains visibly tense.

Mass Purge And Coaching Overhaul

The ongoing turmoil stems from an aggressive mid tour clearout executed by the Pakistan Cricket Board following the 2-0 deficit in the three match series. Management dismissed head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, while simultaneously axing seven senior players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, and Salman Ali Aga, shipping them back to Pakistan before the series finale in Birmingham. In response to these departures, white ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke stepped in to take over red ball coaching duties for the upcoming fixture.

To patch the depleted roster, selectors brought in a makeshift 16 man squad featuring Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, alongside five completely unproven domestic prospects. The newly added uncapped players comprise Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah, bringing a combined experience level of just 10 matches to the dressing room. Babar previously enjoyed a productive red ball excursion in the West Indies by compiling 193 runs across two matches, featuring two fifties as the series finished in a 1-1 draw, which provided a mixed start to his reappointment as Test captain.

Misbah Resigns Amid Selectorial Fallout

The structural fallout also claimed administrative casualties as former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq submitted his resignation from the Pakistan men's national selection committee. Misbah elected to step down from both his selection duties and his position as a batting consultant at the National Cricket Academy situated in Lahore, registering his protest against the decision to send seven players home without consulting the panel. Reports indicate that the PCB has not yet formally accepted his resignation. As the team heads toward Wednesday's toss at Edgbaston, the recovering captain faces the immense burden of anchoring a heavily modified, inexperienced batting lineup while attempting to avoid a clean sweep.