"If some other player was playing, then he would be out of the squad after three games, like Fawad Alam" - Basit Ali on Babar Azam's dismal form

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali feels the time is right for ace batter Babar Azam to be rested or excluded from the squad after another failure with the bat in the second innings of the ongoing first Test against England in Multan. After conceding a massive 823/7 to England and a first-innings lead of 267, Pakistan were heavily reliant on Babar to rescue them from another embarrassing home defeat.

However, the 29-year-old flattered to deceive again and was dismissed cheaply for a 15-ball 5, leaving Pakistan in dire straits. It was Babar's 18th consecutive innings without a half-century, dating back to December 2022.

Speaking on his YouTube channel after play on Day 4, Basit Ali said as quoted by Times of India:

"Babar needs rest. Babar should say that I need to rest. It has been 18 innings since he has performed. If some other player was playing, then he would be out of the squad after three games, like Fawad Alam. This is the bitter truth. Babar should reduce his stance. It is a lot now. The whole world is laughing. Is this how to play?"

Babar has averaged under 21 in nine Tests since the beginning of last year with a highest score of only 41.

His poor form has been central to Pakistan's struggles with the side losing their last five Tests, including a 2-0 home series whitewash to Bangladesh.

"Shan is an opener, he should open" - Basit Ali

Masood scored a brilliant century in the first innings against England [Credit: Getty]

Basit Ali felt Pakistan skipper Shan Masood should open the batting and not continue at No. 3 in Tests.

The 34-year-old overcame his dismal recent form to score a magnificent 151 in the first innings of the ongoing first England Test. However, Masood was dismissed for only 11 in the second innings as Pakistan slipped to 152/6, trailing by another 115 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

"I have been saying that Shan is an opener, he should open. But he played at number three. Now, what will happen? Who will you drop? He should play at his number. He doesn't even know captaincy. What has happened to this cricket team? It is shameful," said Basit Ali in the same video.

Masood has played 46 out of his 68 innings as an opener in Tests but averages only 28. Yet his numbers aren't too impressive at one-drop, where he has been batting recently, with an average of under 34 in 20 innings.

To make matters worse, Masood has struggled since taking over as Pakistan's Test captain, with the side losing all five games.