'I only found out about these things later': Babar on PCB sending 7 players home

Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam on Tuesday said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must have “thought through” its decision to sack the national team’s head coach and send seven players back home after the defeat against England at Lord’s last week.

Speaking to the media for the first time ahead of the third Test against England at Edgbaston, Babar said that the team combination for the match had almost been finalised. “We have almost decided which combination to play with. We will field the best team according to the conditions,” he said.

Asked about the PCB dropping seven players after the 194-run defeat at Lord’s, Babar said, “The PCB must have made the decision after giving it some thought. They can explain it better.”

“It was news to me as well,” he said, adding that, “I only found out about these things later.”

Reflecting on the Lord’s defeat, Babar admitted that Pakistan failed to put in an impressive performance in any department. “We accept that we have lost the series, but we want to finish it on a good note. As a team, we want to end the series with good and positive cricket,” he said.

On the new players added to the squad, Babar said their inclusion should not be viewed as pressure but as a “great opportunity” for them to prove themselves.