Babar Azam to miss remainder of England series as Pakistan gives out-of-form star batter a rest

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan star Babar Azam wanted to continue playing in the test series against England but has been rested for the two remaining matches, the team said Monday.

“Babar was willing to play but the selection committee thought it was the best time to give him a rest,” assistant coach Azhar Mahmood told reporters a day before the second test starts in Multan.

“Babar is our No. 1 player. There’s no question about his technique and ability.”

Pakistan has rung the changes after England pulled off a remarkable victory by an innings and 47 runs in the first test in Multan by amassing 823-7 declared in its only innings.

Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have also been left out. The hosts have opted for an all-out spin attack by recalling Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood. Aamer Jamal is the solitary fast-bowling option.

Left-arm spinner Noman hasn’t featured in a test for more than a year, off-spinner Sajid played his last test against Australia earlier this year while leg-spinner Zahid is back for the first time since taking on England in Multan in 2022.

Kamran Ghulam will make his debut and replace Babar at No. 4 in the batting order.

Pakistan will re-use the same first-test strip in the hope its spinners can take 20 wickets. The team has taken 20 wickets just once in its last six tests, losing all of them under the captaincy of Shan Masood.

Babar has failed to score a half-century in his last 18 test innings, with a highest score of 41 against Australia in Melbourne last year.

Mahmood said Babar will return to the side after the series against England as Pakistan has a busy schedule in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa before hosting West Indies in two tests early next year.

“We have a very busy FTP (Future Tours Program)," Mahmood said. "There’s a lot of cricket coming up...the selection committee thought to give Babar rest so that he comes back fresh. I am quite close to Babar and I know there’s lots of things going on in his mind.”

Except for Babar, Pakistan has kept faith in the batting line-up that scored 556 and 220 in the first test.

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Pakistan's Babar Azam bats during the first day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Babar Azam looks during the third day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Babar Azam reacts as he walks off the field after his dismissal during the fourth day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel, right, with teammates examine pitch preparing for second test cricket match against England after a practice session, in Multan, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood speaks during press conference, in Multan, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Germany on Saturday was still in shock and struggling to understand the suspect behind the attack in the city of Magdeburg.

Identified by local media as 50-year-old Taleb A., a psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist, authorities said he has been living in Germany for two decades. He was arrested on site after plowing a black BMW into a Christmas market crowded with holiday shoppers Friday evening, killing at least five people and wounding about 200 others.

Prominent German terrorism expert Peter Neumann posted on X that he had yet to come across a suspect in an act of mass violence with that profile.

Taleb’s X account is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion while sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith. He also described himself as a former Muslim.

He was critical of German authorities, saying they had failed to do enough to combat the “Islamism of Europe.”

He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Some described Taleb as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland. Recently, he seemed focused on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum seekers.

Neumann, the terrorism expert, wrote: “After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar."

On Saturday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters: “At this point, we can only say for sure that the perpetrator was evidently Islamophobic – we can confirm that. Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait.”

An image taken from a video shows police officers arresting a suspect after car drove into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, Friday Dec. 20, 2024. (TNN/DPA via AP)

A person stands by flowers and candles placed outside St. John's Church near a Christmas Market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)