Sarfraz Nawaz suggests complete rest for Babar Azam

Former Pakistan cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz has suggested that national team captain Babar Azam should not participate in the ongoing New Zealand tour and take complete rest to recover properly, The News reported on Monday.

The 72-year-old urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to not risk Babar’s injury and send the player back to Pakistan.

“He should be called back immediately from New Zealand and allowed to take proper rest for the forthcoming home series against South Africa,” Sarfraz said.

Babar had fractured his thumb last week during a practice session in Queenstown that ruled him out of the three-match Twenty20 International series.

Earlier today, PCB announced that the player will also miss the first Test against New Zealand starting on December 26 while his participation in the second Test will be made closer to the match after closely monitoring his recovery.

Sarfraz, however, suggested that risking Babar’s injury would be dangerous even in the second Test.

“I have seen many players who were exposed to competitive cricket prematurely. In any fracture, you need at least one month to recover fully. Complete healing is the main requirement for a high-level competition,” he said.

The former cricketer added that Babar is a valuable asset for the national team so properly handling his injury is ‘need of the hour.’

Sarfraz said that any kind of haste in playing Babar during the current New Zealand tour could lead to dangerous consequences for Pakistan.

“Pakistan needs Babar for important series ahead so there is a need to allow him proper rest rather exposing him prematurely on bouncy New Zealand tracks where his injury may get even worse in case he gets a hit again,” he concluded. 

Read: Babar, Imam ruled out of first Test, Rizwan announced captain