Shan Masood backs Babar Azam to return stronger after drop

Babar Azam could benefit from a break after being dropped from the Pakistan test squad, red-ball captain Shan Masood said as he backed the batter to rediscover his best form.

Babar stepped down as skipper in all three formats last year after Pakistan failed to make the knockout stage of the 50-overs World Cup. He returned as white-ball captain in March for the T20 World Cup, where the team did not make the Super Eight.

The out-of-form batsman, who once again gave up the captaincy last month, was then dropped for the second and third tests against England in October after scoring just 35 runs across both innings in Pakistan’s defeat in the first test.

Babar’s absence from the Pakistan set-up is set to be brief, however, with the 30-year-old named in the one-day international and Twenty20 squads for this month’s tour of Australia.

Asked about Babar’s future, Shan told the BBC’s ‘Stumped’ podcast on Saturday: “I think he’s one of the best batsmen in the world. I’m nobody to deny him a future. He has every quality to be one of the greatest batsmen in test cricket.

“He’s always there or thereabouts in the rankings. Sometimes, people need a break. I personally think this break will do him a great deal of benefit and he’ll come back a stronger player.

Fans of Shohei Ohtani cheered for him back in his home country of Japan after he captured the first World Series title of his career as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“There’s no harm in being pulled out at times and having a breather. He’s played a lot of cricket and gone through a lot, and he’ll always be one of the main batsmen to play for Pakistan.”

Pakistan next play a test in December in a two-match series against South Africa.