Injured Babar Azam set to miss first Test: PCB

Pakistan batter Babar Azam will not be available for selection for the first Test match against Bangladesh, set to begin on May 8 in Dhaka. Babar, 31, picked up an injury to his left knee, which ruled him out of the opening Test match, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed in a statement. The extent of his injury as well as his absence from the team remains uncertain as PCB's medical panel continue to assess Babar's condition.

“Pakistan batter Babar Azam will not be available for the first Test match against Bangladesh due to a injury in left knee," the PCB said in a statement.

"The team's medical panel is currently assessing his condition. Further updates will be shared in due course," it added.

Babar’s return to Tests delayed

Babar, who has struggled with his form lately across formats, was expected to bring out his best after the spectacular Pakistan Super League (PSL) season he had. 

He scored 588 runs in the tournament, the most by any batter, while also leading his side, Peshawar Zalmi, to their second PSL title.

Just a few hours prior to the PCB’s statement, Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood said he looked forward to Babar carrying his PSL form into the longest format. Since his Test debut, Babar has been a part of all Pakistan’s red-ball games barring eight. Out of these, only four came after 2020, twice each against New Zealand in 2020-21, when he was ruled out due to a thumb injury, and England in 2024 after the management decided to rest him midway through the series.

Pakistan squad for the Dhaka Test:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

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