Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam presented King Charles III with a cricket bat signed by the entire national team during the squad’s visit to Clarence House in London on Wednesday. The gesture came during an England tour that has been overshadowed by heavy defeats, major changes to the squad and growing scrutiny on Babar’s own performances.
Babar, along with the Pakistan squad and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, met the monarch at his London residence on September 2, with the captain handing over the specially signed bat as a gesture of goodwill and sportsmanship.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
The royal meeting offered a brief change of tone from a tour that has unravelled rapidly for Pakistan. England have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead after winning the first Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs, with Pakistan failing to post an innings total of 200 or more in either match.
The response has been drastic. Pakistan recalled seven players midway through the series, including Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and injured opener Imam-ul-Haq, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed. White-ball coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have since taken charge ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston, beginning on September 9.
BABAR’S WOEFUL ENGLAND TOUR
Babar’s return to the Test captaincy has hardly gone to plan. After missing the first Test with a finger injury, he returned at Lord’s but managed only 8 and 6 as Pakistan were bowled out for 110 in the first innings and 194 while chasing 389.
His latest failures have extended a difficult red-ball run. Babar has gone 18 Test innings without a half-century, while his average since the beginning of 2023 has fallen below 21 across nine Tests, adding to questions over both his batting and leadership.
IMRAN KHAN SONS’ INTERVIEW ADDS TO DRAMA
The tour was also caught up in an unexpected controversy during the Lord’s Test when Sky Sports aired an interview with Kasim and Sulaiman Khan, the sons of former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan, during the lunch break.
The interview triggered a formal complaint from the PCB, with reports claiming the board considered asking Pakistan not to return to the field. The team ultimately resumed play, while Babar later said he was unaware of any discussion within the dressing room about refusing to take the field.
With the royal engagement now behind them, Pakistan’s attention turns back to cricket. Babar and his revamped squad face England in the third and final Test at Edgbaston from September 9, with the visitors looking to avoid a series whitewash and bring some stability to an increasingly chaotic tour.
– Ends
