Babar Azam’s return to domestic cricket proved a flop as the skipper of the <a href="https://cricket.international/shan-masood-forced-into-check-retirement-by-pakistan/” title=”Shan Masood forced into Check retirement by Pakistan”>Pakistan National Cricket Team’s Test team returned to the dressing room with sheer frustration after being dismissed in the second innings of the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy between Lahore Whites and FATA.
Playing for the Lahore Whites, Babar Azam scored only 28 and 42 runs in the first and second innings, respectively. He was visibly frustrated after missing out on a half-century by only eight runs in the second innings of the match.
Babar Azam’s poor form continues ahead of Sri Lanka Test
On his return to the pavilion, the star batter of Pakistan smashed his bat on the ground. The game was important for him as it provided the Test team skipper with some preparation ahead of Pakistan’s home Test series against Sri Lanka.
He joined the Lahore Whites for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match after scoring only 0, 29, 10, and 34 runs for Pakistan in the home tri-nation ODI series. Despite being the captain of the Test team, Babar’s form remains a concern for the team management.
Babar Azam smashed his bat on the pitch in anger
When he lost his wicket in the domestic match against FATA in the second innings, he was batting on 42 off 77 balls. FATA pacer Shahid Aziz took his wicket with a length ball. The right-handed batter easily saved himself by leaving the ball. But as he went to drive the ball off, with very minimal footwork, he produced an edge.
The ball was on the sixth or seventh stump, nipping away from the batter. Babar tried to play the ball on the rise and fell on the trap. He was so angry with himself that he smashed his bat on the ground.
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Summary of the Lahore Whites vs FATA match
Lahore Whites, meanwhile, lost the match by a huge margin against FATA. Lahore Whites elected to bowl first after winning the toss. Batting first, however, did not harm FATA in the planning, as they registered a formidable total of 362 all out in 84.1 overs in the first innings. Fawad Arshad’s standout 115 off 311 balls was one of the main turning points of the game.
In reply, Lahore Whites got only 234 in 49.2 overs in their first innings. Ali Zaryab top-scored with a 51-run knock.
FATA increased their lead in the second innings by adding 283 runs in the second phase of the match. Mohammad Farooq helped the team maintain the commanding position over Lahore Whites by scoring 123 off 191 balls.
To win the match, Whites needed to score 411 runs. At least if they could bat until the final over, the match could have ended in a draw. Instead, they lost all their wickets for just 170 runs and lost the match by a massive 241-run margin. It came as a setback for Babar Azam, as Pakistan is set to host Sri Lanka for the first Test match in Rawalpindi on November 9.
Source: cricketaddictor.com
