Babar Azam Ruled Out of Mirpur Test Due to Injury

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam will miss the first Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur because of a left knee injury. However, team management has not yet confirmed whether he will be ruled out of the entire series. In a statement, the team said his condition is being monitored by the medical panel.

The injury comes at a time when Babar appeared to be regaining his form. He finished as the highest run-scorer in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). Under his leadership, Peshawar Zalmi also won the title, losing only one match throughout the tournament.

Babar arrived in Bangladesh on Monday, just a few hours after Zalmi’s PSL final victory. He trained with the squad for two days without showing any signs of discomfort. However, after feeling pain in his left knee on Thursday morning, the medical team decided to rule him out of the opening Test.

Babar has been a regular member of Pakistan’s Test side for nearly a decade. Although he was dropped for two Tests against England in late 2024, he soon returned to the team. This will be the first away Test he misses since January 2021.

This series marks Pakistan’s first away assignment in the current World Test Championship cycle. Earlier, they played a two-match home Test series against South Africa, winning one and losing the other. In the last Test series between Bangladesh and Pakistan, however, Pakistan suffered a 2-0 whitewash at home.