Babar Azam will miss Pakistan’s first Test against Bangladesh after suffering a left knee injury, dealing a major setback to the team ahead of the series opener.
The Pakistan team management confirmed that Babar will not be available for the opening match of the two-Test away series. The first Test is scheduled to take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from May 8 to 12.
According to the statement, Babar is currently undergoing assessment by the team’s medical panel, which will determine the severity and extent of the injury. Further updates regarding his fitness are expected after the evaluation is completed.
His absence comes at a time when the star batter appeared to be returning to top form. Babar recently led Peshawar Zalmi to their second Pakistan Super League title and finished as the leading run-scorer in PSL 11.
He scored 588 runs in 11 innings at an average of 73.02 and a strike rate of 145.90, including two centuries and three half-centuries.
Following his century in the qualifier against Islamabad United, Babar had said he was beginning to feel close to his best again, making the injury setback particularly untimely for Pakistan.
Pakistan have already announced their squad for the first Test, with Shan Masood set to captain the side. The squad also includes Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
