Babar Azam urges teammates to play with freedom in final Test against England

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has urged his teammates to shift their mindset and bounce back in the final Test following back-to-back defeats in the ongoing series against England. Heading into the third and final Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, he called on his team to shed all pressure and play their natural game.

The ongoing tour of England has been deeply disappointing for Pakistan so far. Having suffered heavy losses in the first two Tests, the Asian side has already surrendered the series. The dismal run led to a coaching change and a major overhaul of the squad, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) making as many as seven changes for the series finale.

However, the Pakistan captain is keen to put past failures behind and look ahead. Emphasizing a positive approach with the inclusion of newcomers, Babar said, "The series is lost, but we have nothing to lose. We should play freely and believe in ourselves as a team. We've practiced a couple of days and explained things to the new boys. Any young player who comes in is excited, and that excitement is visible. I believe that will be visible in the match, too."

Babar missed the series opener in Nottingham due to a hand injury and failed to make an impact upon his return in the second Test at Lord's, scoring just 8 and 6 across the two innings. Saud Shakeel was the only Pakistan batter to score a fifty in that match as England cruised to a 194-run victory. Acknowledging his responsibility as captain, Babar vowed to lead from the front in the final game.

Speaking about his own performance and responsibility, he added, "Whenever you go into a series or tournament, you back yourself to perform. As a senior player, you have to take on more responsibility. I firmly believe you need to grab opportunities and perform in difficult conditions. That's why we play cricket, because we have to perform and dominate in difficult conditions. We need to forget about past failures and shift focus to the future."

Pakistan currently sit in ninth place on the World Test Championship standings, while hosts England are three spots ahead in sixth.

Pakistan squad for the third Test: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah.