Pakistan have received a big boost ahead of the second Test against England, with star batter and captain Babar Azam set to return to the playing XI. Babar missed the opening Test of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 series after suffering a finger injury.
His absence was noticeably felt after Pakistan slumped to a crushing defeat in the first Test under the leadership of standing captain Salman Agha. Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul expressed optimism, confirming that Babar was expected to be available for selection for the second Test.
“He looks good. He batted in all three nets against fast bowlers, spinners and throwdowns. We're hopeful he will be available for the game, and today he was looking good; he batted well in the nets," Gul said at the press conference.
The second Test between Pakistan and England will begin on August 27 at Lord’s. Notably, Babar has been in scorching form lately, having performed up to the standards in during the West Indies series. He finished West Indies series as Pakistan’s leading run-scorer, scoring 193 runs across the series.