Babar Azam is expected to return for Pakistan’s second Test against England at Lord’s, but his own assessment—“90%” fit—shows that the comeback comes with some uncertainty.
Babar returns after missing Headingley
Babar missed the first Test because of a finger injury, as England won by an innings and 103 runs inside three days. He has since resumed batting practice and believes he can play at Lord’s.
The concern is that he has had limited exposure to genuine fast bowling while testing the injured finger. He faced some pace in the nets on Tuesday, but much of his preparation has involved throwdowns, and he did not face fast bowling after Wednesday's press conference.
His return nevertheless gives Pakistan's middle order a major injection of experience. Babar averages 65.75 in Tests in England and 53.83 against England in Test cricket.
Pakistan's bigger problem isn't just Babar
The first Test exposed problems that one player cannot solve.
Pakistan were dismissed for 171 in their first innings, their lowest first-innings Test score in a decade. After Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique established a 91-run opening partnership, Pakistan lost their final eight wickets for just 64 runs.
Babar's message ahead of Lord's is therefore essentially about partnerships and responsibility:
Batters who get set need to convert starts into substantial scores.
Senior players need to prevent clusters of wickets.
Batting and bowling units need to operate collectively.
Pakistan cannot depend on Babar to rescue the middle order every time.
Shafique won't be moved
One particularly interesting selection decision is Abdullah Shafique.
Shafique has scored 260 runs at an average of 130 across his last four innings, and Babar wants him to remain at the position where he has developed confidence rather than shifting him simply to accommodate the captain.
That means Azan Awais is expected to make way for Babar.
Lord's is significant for Babar
This will be Babar's third tour of England, but his first opportunity to lead Pakistan at Lord's.
He will become the 15th Pakistan captain to lead the side at the historic ground.
For Pakistan, however, the immediate objective is much simpler: after being comprehensively outplayed at Headingley, they need a response. Babar's return could provide stability, but the team needs a substantially better batting performance from the entire top and middle order.
The key subplot: whether Babar's injured finger holds up against England's pace attack could become almost as important as his run-scoring.
