Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, has addressed the fans in light of his son’s recent challenges and has given his assurance that Babar will make a strong comeback in the near future.
Azam Siddique’s reaction came after Pakistan thumped England by 152 runs in the second Test, registering their first victory at home in Test cricket since their win against South Africa back in February 2021.
Ahead of the aforementioned fixture, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made four surprising changes, including dropping their star batter Babar Azam, who has not crossed the fifty-run barrier in the format since December 2022.
Consistent domestic performer Kamran Ghulam, who came in as Babar’s replacement, smashed a well-crafted century on debut, pivotal in guiding Pakistan to a formidable total in the first innings.
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Ghulam’s century made things worse for Babar as social media trolls targetted the latter, claiming that the national team eventually won at home after he was dropped.
Following the social media campaign against his son, Azam Siddique took to his Instagram account and clarified that his son was not dropped but rested to freshen up ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.
He also expressed confidence and assured fans that Babar will make a resounding comeback in the near future.
“I have no complaints against friends nor any grievances with the world. Insha’Allah (God willing), you will soon see Babar [Azam] playing in front of you,” the star batter’s father posted.
“PCB has given him rest to rejuvenate. We are content with the will of Allah, as we were and always will be. Long live Pakistan.”
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It’s worth noting that Babar will not be part of the lineup for the upcoming third and series-deciding Test in Rawalpindi, which will be played from 24-28 October.
However, he is likely to return to the team for the six-match white-ball series in Australia, which will embark with the ODI series on 4 November.
The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the series opener, while the subsequent matches are scheduled on November 8 and 10 in Adelaide and Perth, respectively.
The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.
Schedule of Pakistan’s white-ball tour to Australia
Pakistan vs Australia ODI series schedule:
November 4: First ODI at MCG, Melbourne
November 8: Second ODI at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
November 10: Third ODI at Perth Stadium, Perth
Pakistan vs Australia T20I series schedule:
November 14: First T20I at The Gabba, Brisbane
November 16: Second T20I at SCG, Sydney
November 18: Third T20I at Bellerive Oval, Hobart
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