• Source:JND
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Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag recently took a dig at Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam, urging him to work on his fitness and improve his recent performances in international cricket. Sehwag's comments came after Pakistan's surprising decision to drop Babar for the final two Test matches against England in the ongoing series. Babar, who has been one of Pakistan's key players, was left out in favor of Kamran Ghulam, who received his maiden Test cap.

The decision to drop Babar caught many by surprise, given his stature in the team. Despite the pressure, Babar responded to criticism with a resilient performance, scoring 118 off 124 deliveries against a strong English bowling attack, showing his class and grit. However, Sehwag, speaking on Shoaib Akhtar's YouTube channel, advised Babar to consider playing domestic cricket to regain form and return as a mentally stronger player.

Sehwag emphasized that taking a break and working on both fitness and mentality could help Babar reclaim his form and consistency at the international level.

"Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, spend some time with family, then come back to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player," Sehwag said.

The former India cricketer added that the former Pakistan skipper has been more impacted mentally. The 46-year-old also asked Babar to be mentally strong.

"With expectations from Babar decreasing and his resignation from captaincy, it seems he has been more impacted mentally than in terms of technique. He needs to stay mentally strong. He's a talented player, and players like him tend to bounce back quickly," he added.

While Ghulam's knock set the tone of the Test for Pakistan, it was Noman Ali and Sajid Khan who dictated the outcome with their spin prowess.

The duo took all 20 wickets in the second Test, leaving England completely baffled in the process. While Sajid starred with his figures of 7/111 in the first innings, the plaudits belonged to Noman in the second innings for his splendid effort of 8/46.

With a 125-run victory, Pakistan levelled the series at 1-1, taking the series decider to Rawalpindi, beginning on October 24.

Inputs from ANI