Babar Azam declares himself 90pc fit for second England Test at Lord’s

Pakistan captain Babar Azam is expected to make his comeback from a finger injury when the second Test against England begins at Lord’s on Thursday, saying he is “90 per cent fit”.

Babar sat out the first Test at Headingley, where Pakistan were bowled out for 171 and 135 and went down by an innings and 103 runs. England now lead the three-match series 1-0.

The Pakistan skipper injured his finger during the team’s recent tour of the West Indies before taking another blow to the same hand during a warm-up game. He has returned to net practice over the past two days and appears ready to resume his place in the batting order.

“I’ve had a couple of practice sessions again, and I’m 90 per cent fit for the match tomorrow,” Babar said at the pre-match press conference. He said playing for Pakistan at Lord’s was a source of pride and that he would focus on contributing in whatever role was required.

Pakistan have spent the week reviewing their performance in Leeds. Babar acknowledged that the team had fallen well below expectations but said the players were determined to respond in the second Test.

“We were not playing up to our mark,” he said, while praising England for their performance.

Babar's return would provide Pakistan with an experienced presence in the middle order. He scored 193 runs in the two-Test series in the West Indies and has averaged 65.75 in England, where he has also registered three half-centuries in six innings.

Azan Awais could be the player to make way for Babar, with a reshuffle at the top of the order also possible.