Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam – as well as renowned players Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah – have been “rested” for the rest of the Test series against England.
The 16-man squad for the remaining two Tests was announced on Sunday as Pakistan looks to respond to a record defeat by England in Multan.
Pakistan became the first team in history to lose by an innings after scoring 500, while England amassed over 800 on their way to a famous victory in the series opener.
Hosts going through a terrible period Australia The legendary Jason Gillespie was supposed to announce changes in the second Test, but the decision to leave out Babar, Shaheen and Naseem still came as a surprise.
Babar is considered the best Pakistani batsman of his generation, but he has recently suffered a dramatic decline in form and scored 30 and 5 in two innings in the first match.
Shaheen and Naseem, who are also going through difficult patches in their careers, conceded a combined 277 runs in 56 overs.
Explaining Pakistan's changes for the second and third Tests against England, selector Aaqib Javed said: “Choosing the squad for the upcoming Tests against England was a difficult task for the selectors.
“We had to carefully consider the current form of the players, the urgency of returning to the series and Pakistan's demanding international competition schedule for the 2024-25 season.
“Keeping these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket as well as the players, we have taken the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they are back in top form for future challenges.
“They remain one of our best talents who can contribute much more to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them through this period so that they can come back even stronger.”
Spinner Abrar Ahmed was also dropped from the Pakistan squad after he missed the last two days of the first Test due to illness.
Pakistan made a good start in Multan, recording 556 as Shan Masood, Salman Ali Agha and Abdullah Shafique all scored centuries.
However, England surpassed Pakistan's total and secured a remarkable first-innings lead of 267 thanks to Harry Brook's sensational 316, Joe Root's superb 262 and contributions from Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett.
A draw still seemed the most realistic outcome on a flat pitch, but Pakistan crumbled in the final innings, losing by one innings and 47 runs.
England, who already lead the three-match series 1-0, will be boosted by the return of red-ball captain Ben Stokes for the second Test, which is likely to be played on the same ground as the series opener.
Chris Woakes looks likely to make way for Stokes, but England will also see how Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse coped with a grueling first Test.
Asked about Stokes' fitness, England bowling coach Anderson said: “When we talk about Ben's workload and his bowling, it could benefit us as the spinners potentially play a bigger role.
Looks great. He's worked really hard on his fitness and looks as strong as I've ever seen him. He hit the net well and looks like he'll be ready to play.
Stokes' return means Ollie Pope will step down as captain after four matches in which England have recorded three wins.
After the second Test in Multan, both teams will travel to Rawalpindi for the third Test, which starts on October 24.
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