Pakistan captain Babar Azam sustained an injury to his right hand during the second day of a warm-up match against a Professional County Club (PCC) Select XI. The top-order batsman was forced to retire hurt after scoring five runs during the fixture in Beckenham, Kent.
A team spokesperson confirmed that while Babar will play no further part in the current warm-up game, he is expected to return to training. The official stated, “Babar will participate in Pakistan team’s practice session on Monday at Headingley Cricket Ground.” This comes as Pakistan prepares for the first of a three-Test series against England, which is scheduled to commence at Headingley this Wednesday.
In the match itself, Pakistan posted 238 runs in response to the PCC team’s first-innings total of 305. England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir led the bowling effort with figures of 4-76, while 17-year-old Manny Lumsden contributed 2-24. By the close of play, the PCC side reached 128-3 in their second innings, establishing a lead of 195 runs.
Meanwhile, England opening batsman Emilio Gay faced further struggles, recording a pair after being dismissed for a duck in both innings. Gay, who is attempting to prove his fitness following a shoulder injury sustained in the One-Day Cup, faced only seven balls on Friday before edging a delivery from Mohammad Ali behind the stumps. Babar previously led Pakistan to a 1-1 draw in a two-match series against the West Indies earlier this month.
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