Rashid Latif believes that during the next three-Test series against England, the Pakistan Cricket Board should restrict Babar Azam’s interactions with the English media. The former Pakistani wicketkeeper believes the team can focus on cricket during a challenging tour by carefully managing media attention.
During his playing career, Latif travelled to England multiple times, notably in 1992, 1996, and 2001. “An England tour is a difficult assignment, and the English media often tries to unnecessarily involve visiting teams in news stories,” Latif stated on Geo News’ Score, expressing his displeasure with the English media’s portrayal and offering the PCB administration some other tactics.
Why Rashid Latif recommends limiting Babar’s media exposure
Rashid Latif believes Babar will benefit from having fewer media responsibilities during this tour, despite his experience as captain. The former cricket player turned consultant recommended that the PCB assign other seasoned players, such as former captain Shan Masood, to handle public relations so that Babar could concentrate on strategy and preparation.
“Babar Azam is an experienced player, so it would be better for the PCB management to keep him away from the English media and send former captain Shan Masood to speak to them more often.” Shan has more experience interacting with the English media because he has played in England,” Rashid Latif stated.
Additional media representatives on the tour
Rashid Latif suggested Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Abbas as potential replacements for Masood in handling the tour’s media duties. With this approach, the team’s leadership could concentrate on preparation and game strategy without being distracted by frequent media appearances.
Headingley in Leeds will host the first Test of Pakistan’s three-Test series against England from August 19–23. The second Test is scheduled for August 27–31 at Lord’s, and the third Test is scheduled for September 9–13 at Birmingham’s Edgbaston. This visit is Pakistan’s first Test series in England since 2020 and is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle.
After a 1-1 tie in their two-Test series against the West Indies, Pakistan had a lot of momentum heading into the England assignment. Babar took over as Test captain after Shan Masood’s stint ended owing to subpar play, giving the current captain greater authority during this pivotal tour.
