Calling the decision of removing noted batsman Babar Azam from Pakistan team for the rest of the England Test series a pure folly, ex-England cricketer Michael Vaughan said Pakistan cricket was packed with surprises.

Vaughan, in a social media post, said it was an absolutely stupid decision, unless Babar himself had 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 Babar Azam I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises but this tops the lot .. absolutely stupid decision .. unless he has asked for a break!!!”

Following an innings and 47-run defeat in the series opener, the PCB on Sunday announced to give Babar “rest” for the second and third Tests against England.

The out of form batsman will miss the matches in Multan and Rawalpindi after Friday’s loss handed Pakistan their sixth consecutive test defeat and left them at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings.

The former Green Shirts captain struggled in the first Test against England, managing just 35 runs across both innings. He stepped down as captain in all formats after Pakistan’s elimination from the 2023 ODI World Cup.

However, four months later, he was re-appointed as the Twenty20 Internationals and ODI captain but his second stint also proved abortive, leading him to resign once again.

The newly formed selection committee has also rested frontline pace duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for the Tests. Afridi, 24, a former captain in the T20I format has struggled to regain his form from before his knee injury.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood voiced his support for Babar in the wake of the defeat, labelling him as “Pakistan’s best batter” and called for players to be given more time.

Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman also showed support for Babar minutes before the squad was announced on Sunday.

“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively,” Zaman wrote in a post on X.

“If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them.”

Aqib Javed, a Pakistan selector, said the selection committee had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule.

The PCB spokesman said that selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England had been an uphill task for the selectors.

Uncapped players Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, have been called up. The spokesman said that the board was offering opportunities to young players and domestic performers to showcase their skills against a formidable England side.

The second Test against England begins on Tuesday in Multan.

Pakistan squad:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.

Canberra: Cricket Australia announced the Australian squad for the ODI series against Pakistan.

The national team will visit Australia in November. In this tour, the two teams will play three ODI and three T20 matches.

The Australian team squad for ODI matches against Pakistan has been announced, led by Pat Cummins.

Shane Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jack Fraser McGurk, Aaron Hardy, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Ingles, Marnus Libuschen, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoins and Adam Zampa were included in the Australian squad for the ODI series.

Australian cricketers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head are on parental leave so they have not been included in the squad.

Australian Chief Selector’s Statement

Regarding the Australian team squad, Chief Selector George Bailey said that this is the last one-day series before the Champions Trophy, so an effort has been made to maintain balance in the squad.

George Bailey stated there is an opportunity for his squad to increase their experience for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February.

It is pertinent to note that ODI matches between Pakistan and Australia will be played on November 4, 8, and 10. On the other hand, the Australian team for T20 matches will be announced later.

NEW YORK — Kodai Senga will start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers on Sunday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced Saturday. Sean Manaea will start Game 2 on Monday.

Game 1 starter is the spot the Mets envisioned for Senga when they reported for spring training with the right-hander as their ace. Getting there, however, went sideways.

Senga didn’t make his season debut until July 26 after beginning the season on the injured list with a strained posterior capsule in his right shoulder. He exited that July outing in the sixth inning with a strained calf that knocked him out for the remainder of the regular season. Only the Mets reaching the postseason could offer Senga a path back to the mound in 2024.

That happened, and Senga returned to toss two innings in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed one run — a leadoff home run in the first inning to Kyle Schwarber — and had three strikeouts in the Mets’ 6-2 road win.

This time, Senga will encounter a dangerous Dodgers lineup in Los Angeles with a longer leash. Mendoza said Senga could log at least three innings. Senga declined to put a limit on his start.

“There’s not a number I have in mind,” the 31-year-old Senga said through an interpreter. “I’m going until they take the ball away from me. And I’m going to go 100% until then.”

The Mets chose to have Senga start Game 1 over Manaea, the team’s ace since July, on regular rest after the left-hander held the Phillies to one run over seven innings in their NLDS-clinching Game 4 win.

“From the beginning, we wanted to put our guys in what we felt was the best position to have success,” Mendoza said, “considering where they are physically.”

One factor in the decision, Mendoza noted, was keeping Senga, a very routine-oriented pitcher, “as close as possible to his routine.” But that could change later in the series.

Senga has been tasked to pitch on normal rest — four days between starts — in just three of his 31 starts since joining the Mets last season from Japan. He posted a 4.61 ERA across 13⅔ innings in those outings. The fourth time could come in a potential Game 5 at Citi Field.

“I’m ready for anything,” Senga said. “I don’t anticipate getting to 100 pitches tomorrow. And how many days I have in between it, it doesn’t matter at this point. We need to win the game, so whenever they call on me, I’m ready.”

Warsaw (Reuters): Portugal’s Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo scored first-half goals in a comfortable 3-1 win away to Poland in the Nations League on Saturday as the Group A1 leaders continued their perfect start to the competition with three wins.

Silva put Portugal in front after 26 minutes, netting from Bruno Fernandes’ headed assist, before captain Ronaldo got his 133rd international goal when he doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a first-time shot after Rafael Leao hit the post.

Piotr Zielinski pulled a goal back for Poland in the 78th with a powerful strike into the roof of the net before home defender Jan Bednarek netted an own goal in the dying minutes.

Portugal continue to set the pace in League A Group One with nine points, three points clear of Croatia who came from behind to beat visitors Scotland 2-1 earlier on Saturday.

Poland, who beat Scotland 3-2 on the road in their opener before losing 1-0 in Croatia, are third with three points while the Scots have none so far.

The Poles started on the front foot and leading striker Robert Lewandowski came close to netting an early opener when he was inches from getting his head to a cross as Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa beat him to the ball.

Portugal, however, were quick to grow into the match and Poland keeper Lukasz Skorupski was put to work early when he blocked Diogo Dalot’s effort from close range.

Ronaldo then hit the bottom of the bar as Portugal continued to enjoy the bulk of possession and their chances kept coming.
Fans of the America’s Cup final have long been able to see the races and the water,

Fernandes put Skorupski to the test again with a curled shot from just outside the box in the 14th minute and the keeper had to stretch to tip the ball away.