Babar Azam came down with a high fever as Pakistan filmed a horror tour of England

Babar Azam’s tour of England took another worrying turn as the Pakistan captain battled a high fever ahead of the crucial third Test at Edgbaston, Geo Super reported. The 31-year-old has already endured a difficult return to the side, taking just eight and six wickets in the second Test at Lord’s. Pakistan suffered a defeat by 194 runs.

The illness comes at a particularly turbulent time for Pakistan cricket. After a second heavy defeat in a row, the PCB sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and sent seven players home, while Mike Hesson was brought in to oversee the team for the final Test.

According to Pakistan team media manager Naveed Akram Cheema, Babar informed him about the fever. Cheema, however, sought to play down concerns over the skipper’s health, saying there was no need to panic and that Babar was expected to recover soon.

However, the timing is far from ideal for players who are already under considerable pressure. Babar missed the opening Test at Headingley with a finger injury before returning at Lord’s. His 14 runs in two innings only heightened questions about his form, especially with his Test century drought stretching to December 2022.

BABAR AND PAKISTAN’S TERRIBLE RUN

The Pakistan campaign quickly unraveled in England. They were beaten by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley before England completed 194 runs at Lord’s to seal the series 2-0. Pakistan failed to score more than 200 in any innings in the first two Tests, underscoring the extent of their problems with the bat.

Pakistan now head to Birmingham where they need to avoid a 0-3 lime streak. For Babar, the priority will be two-fold: recover from the fever and rediscover the form expected of their prime minister and captain.

The Edgbaston Test begins on September 9 and Pakistan face a tough task after a chaotic fortnight where their team, coaching staff and management have been under intense scrutiny.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

01 Sep 2026 23:13 IST