BAN vs PAK: Babar Azam recovers from knee injury, declared fit for 2nd Test in Sylhet

Pakistan batter Babar Azam has been declared fit for the upcoming second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet, beginning on May 16. Babar missed the series opener in Dhaka due to a knee injury as Pakistan went on to lose the match by 104 runs. His return comes as a major boost for the side that failed to survive on the final day, chasing a target of 268.

Babar was in rich form during the recently concluded Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026), finishing as the leading run scorer of the tournament in Peshawar Zalmi’s title triumph. Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed Babar’s availability in the pre-match press conference and promised to bounce back as a team in the second Test.

“Babar Azam is available for the next match. We are disappointed after the first Test but the past is the past. We are hopeful. We will bounce back as a team,” Sarfaraz said in the pre-match press conference.

While the recent success in PSL bodes well for Babar, his Test performances have been on a decline since 2023. In his last 30 innings, the star batter has scored 735 runs at an average of 24.50 with four fifties to his name. However, he will take confidence from his good record in the longest format in Bangladesh, having scored 99 runs from three innings at an average of 49.50.

Shadman Islam also ruled out of 2nd Test

Bangladesh have also suffered an injury blow as opener Shadman Islam has been ruled out of the second Test due to a chest injury. In his place, Zakir Hasan has been called up as a replacement. Shadman suffered the injury while taking Salman Ali Agha's catch on Day 5 of the first Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur.

He celebrated the wicket briefly before falling on the ground and was immediately taken off the field, and didn't return for the rest of the game. 

Pakistan docked WTC points for slow-over rate

Meanwhile, Pakistan have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee and penalised eight points in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle for maintaining a slow over rate in the first Test against Bangladesh. The visitors were eight overs short of the target once time allowances were taken into account.

Following the sanction, Pakistan now have four points in the WTC Standings and are placed eighth, just above West Indies.