Babar Azam out of second New Zealand Test
Babar Azam had broken his thumb during a practice session before the start of the series.
CHRISTCHURCH (Dunya News) – After missing the Twenty20 International (T20I) series and first Test match against New Zealand, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been ruled out of the second and final Test in Christchurch starting from Sunday (tomorrow).
Babar Azam had broken his thumb during a practice session before the start of the series. Mohammad Rizwan – who captained the Green Caps in the first Test – will lead them in the second encounter against the Kiwis.
The stand-in Test skipper is determined to end the tour on a winning note by downing the hosts at the Hagley Oval. He had earlier described Babar Azam as Pakistan’s Kane Williamson and said he has a great impact on our team.
On the other hand, Williamson also acknowledged that Babar Azam would have strengthened Pakistan in the first Test which the visitors lost by 101 runs with only 27 balls to spare.
“He’s one of the best players in the world. He obviously adds a lot. We saw how challenging it is against this Pakistan side. You add Babar to that and it strengthens it,” the New Zealand captain said.
It is pertinent here to mention that the practice session of Pakistan team was affected by rain today. Only a 30-minute long batting session was conducted while the bowlers remained out of action. The players spent time by playing football and in fielding practice.
