Babar Azam Falls Sick Ahead of 3rd Pakistan vs England Test

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has fallen ill with a fever before the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston, from September 9 to 13. Naveed Akram Cheema, the media manager of the Pakistan men's cricket team, confirmed Babar's condition and assured there was no cause for alarm. Despite the fever, Babar is reported to be fit and expected to recover soon.

The news arrives during a challenging period for Pakistan, following two significant losses to England in the Test series. The team suffered a heavy defeat in the first Test by an innings and 103 runs, followed by a 194-run loss at Lord's. In both matches, Pakistan failed to score over 200 runs in any of their four innings. The 31-year-old captain was dismissed for eight and six runs in the Lord's Test.

A credible source suggests Babar has been under considerable pressure due to the team's defeats and recent changes made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The PCB removed several players from the squad, including Imam-ul-Haq, Awais Zafar, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Aga, Aamir Jamal, Ali Usman and Khurram Shahzad. They were replaced by Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Mohammad Imran Jr and Saad Baig.

Additionally, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Gul were also removed, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke replacing them for the final Test.