"Absolutely Stupid"- Michael Vaughan reacts to Pakistan dropping Babar Azam

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its selection committee for an outrageous call to drop Babar Azam for the remaining two Test matches of the ongoing three-match Test series against England at home.

Pakistan’s decision to drop Babar Azam from their Test squad despite being widely regarded as the team’s best player has left fans and cricket experts utterly stunned.

This call has sparked outrage among the fans and former cricketers like Michael Vaughan, who did not hold back while expressing his wonder at this unexpected move.

Michael Vaughan slams PCB for dropping Babar Azam for England Tests

Taking to social media, Vaughan blasted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the shocking call. While Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie were against the idea of dropping Babar from the team for the rest of the ongoing England series, the national selection committee felt it was time for the star batter to step aside.

The decision-maker felt that Babar Azam needed some time away from the game to regain form, as his recent performances have been underwhelming in Test cricket. Babar hasn’t scored fifty in his last nine Tests and posted disappointing scores of 30 and 5 in the opening match against England.

Despite his poor scores, Vaughan has called the decision “stupid” and questioned how they could drop a player of Babar’s caliber. The commentator believes that Babar is still Pakistan’s finest batter, and he should have been given more chances in the ongoing Test series at home.

Babar Azam's struggles lead to his snub from the Test side

The right-hander has been struggling for runs for the last three years in the longest format of the game, and even he stepped down from Pakistan’s captaincy twice within 12 months, which highlighted the weight of expectations that has been taking its toll on Babar.

Yet, despite Babar’s struggles, Michael Vaughan reckoned that Pakistan has made a grave error in sidelining their best player when they need him the most, as they are already 0-1 down in the ongoing Test series against England while highlighting how Pakistan has struggled to win matches recently.

The former England captain further mentioned that the unpredictability of Pakistan's decisions is well-known, but this one stands out as particularly baffling, questioning the logic behind dropping Babar from the side, unless, of course, the star batter himself requested a break.

Absolutely stupid decision: Michael Vaughan on dropping Babar Azam

Michael Vaughan posted on X: “So Pakistan haven’t won in a while …Go 1 nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player in @babarazam258 …I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises but this tops the lot ... absolutely stupid decision … unless he has asked for a break!!!”

So Pakistan haven’t won in a while .. Go 1 nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player in @babarazam258 .. I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises but this tops the lot .. absolutely stupid decision .. unless he has asked for a break !!!

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 13, 2024

But the surprises didn’t stop there, as the fast-bowling sensations Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah were also dropped from the Test squad for the remainder of the ongoing home series against England. It has been seen as a panic move by the selection committee after the team’s struggles.