(Image Source: Twitter)
[Saba Sports News] Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam surprised fans with his unusual on-field actions during a warm-up game against the Prime Minister’s XI. A video, shared by Cricket Australia, shows Azam at the non-striker’s end attempting to intercept a shot from Shan Masood, creating a buzz on social media.
Pakistan, batting first after winning the toss, ended Day 1 with 324/6. Babar contributed 40 runs before being dismissed, while Masood remained unbeaten with a strong 156. This match marks Pakistan’s return to action following their mixed performance in the ODI World Cup, where they won five of nine games.
Following the World Cup, Babar stepped down as captain across all formats. Masood now leads the team in the upcoming three-match series starting December 14 in Perth. The squad sees new faces like Saim Ayub, Aamir Jamal, and Khurrum Shehzad, with Naseem Shah out due to surgery. Wahab Riaz, the new chief selector, also brought back Mir Hamza, retaining nine players from the World Cup squad.
However, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Shadab Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed were not selected for the Test tour. Post the Test series, Pakistan will head to New Zealand for five T20 internationals.