Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has openly expressed his frustration over the exclusion of star batter Babar Azam from Pakistan's Test squad for the remainder of the series against England. Raja believes that Babar, as a key player and captain, should have been given the choice to decide whether he needed rest, instead of being dropped from the squad altogether. He emphasized that Babar’s presence is crucial for the team, and such decisions should take into account the player’s perspective and importance to the side.

Raja’s remarks came during a discussion on Sky Sports, where he engaged in a conversation with former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton. In the exchange, Raja further highlighted how such calls could affect the team’s morale and questioned the rationale behind excluding a player of Babar’s caliber. According to him, giving Babar the authority to make the decision would have been a sign of respect for his contributions to Pakistan cricket and his leadership role.

"It should have been Babar's call whether he wanted time out of the playing XI or not. It was a kneejerk reaction, new selectors in. The general opinion was he needed rest and he was taken out of the squad completely," Raja said.