ENG vs PAK: Babar Azam confirms availability for second Test at Lord’s
Babar Azam (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 26 Aug 2026, 07:25 PM• Read time - 2 mins
Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam is fit to play in the second match against England, beginning on Thursday, August 27, at Lord's, London. Babar missed the first Test in Leeds due to a finger injury after he was struck on his right hand during Pakistan's warm-up game against Professional County Club Select XI (PCCS XI) in Beckenham.
He was also struck on the same hand during the second Test against West Indies. However, the Pakistan skipper has successfully recovered from his injury and said that he’s 90% fit for the second Test and the rest of the series.
"I had a couple of practice sessions. I'm 90% fit for tomorrow and the rest of the series,” Babar said in the pre-match press conference.
The Pakistan skipper emphasised putting up a complete team performance to make a comeback in the series in the aftermath of a crushing defeat in the opening test.
“You need to produce complete team performances. You have to bowl and bat in partnerships. And you have to take it deep as a batter if you're set. If you're set, it's a little easier. For a new batter, it's a little bit difficult to build partnerships,” he added.
No change in Shafique's batting position: Babar
Babar also mentioned that there will be no change in Abdullah Shafique’s batting position upon his return to the team.
"The number Abdullah is batting, he should [continue to] play there. He's batted three and four since his comeback. He's got confidence there, so he'll continue there. We need to [stamp out] the back-to-back wickets we lose. The senior batters need to be more focused and make up for it,” Babar said.
Shafique has been in rich form of late, having scored 260 runs in his last four innings. He scored a valiant half-century in the first innings in Leeds, helping his team recover from early blows. Meanwhile, Pakistan have their back against the wall heading into the match, trailing by 0-1 in the three-match series. Another defeat will result in their second successive Test series loss in England.