Babar Azam Tipped for 200-Plus Score in Lord’s Test
Stuart Broad, a former England seamer, has issued another strong tirade against Pakistan, this time aimed at the visiting captain, Babar Azam.
The Pakistan Test skipper was forced to miss the first Test between England and Pakistan at Headingley due to an unlucky right-hand finger injury received during a practice match against County Club Select XI.
Pakistan were crushed by the home team, who won fair and square by an innings and 103 runs in two and a half days.
Stuart Broad challenges Babar Azam to 250 runs.
Stuart Broad taunted Pakistan once more ahead of the second Test against England at Lord’s. According to the former England seamer, Babar Azam must hit at least 250 runs in Pakistan’s next encounter to scare the home team.
“To pose a threat to England in the second test, Pakistan will require a significant turn of fortune. When you have players like Babar Azam, you can acquire 250. “That’s what they’ll have to hope for,” Stuart Broad stated on the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast.
Babar Azam may have been Pakistan’s finest batsman and earned Player of the Series honours in the West Indies, but he is currently struggling in the longer format.
The elegant batsman has not scored a Test hundred since December 2022. Thus, Babar Azam getting a 250 at Lord’s would be an unrealistic expectation.
Pakistan’s poor performance provokes furious argument between Stuart Broad and Salman Butt.
Stuart Broad made a nasty statement about Pakistan before the series, labelling them a terrible team.
Although his words came true at Headingley, some former Pakistan cricketers, particularly Salman Butt, were dissatisfied with Broad’s appraisal.
Following Pakistan’s humiliating defeat in the first match, the English media labelled the visiting squad as the worst Pakistani team to tour England in the previous 50 years.
When asked about it, stand-in skipper Salman Ali Agha expressed his thoughts, saying that it is never easy to play in England for any Asian team, but they will undoubtedly turn things around in the next Test.
However, Pakistan has had a good run in England in recent years, drawing the series twice in their last three efforts.
Pakistan’s dismal showing at the Headingley Test
Nonetheless, after being knocked out for 171 and 135 runs at Headingley, the cricketing fraternity questioned Pakistan’s batting pedigree.
Apart from Abdullah Shafique, who made a valiant 61 in the first innings, no other visiting batter could even reach a half-century over both innings as the English quicks, particularly Ollie Robinson, wreaked havoc on them.
Not only did Pakistan’s batters struggle, but so did their bowlers, as England scored 409 runs. Khurram Shahzad, who averaged more than six runs per over after 21.5 overs, and Mohammad Ali both struggled with the ball.
Pakistan will need to make bold decisions both before and during the second ENG versus PAK Test match if they are to turn things around. They would need to not just modify their starting XI, but also step up and fight more as a team.
