In the wake of his decision to step down as the captain of the former Pakistan captain, Babar Azam’s unwavering commitment to his craft has drawn admiration from former English cricketer Michael Vaughan. 

The 29-year-old, who relinquished his captaincy following Pakistan’s heart-wrenching exit from the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, has chosen to focus on his batting prowess as he gears up for the challenging tour of Australia.

Shortly after making the surprising announcement, the right-hand batter was spotted honing his batting skills in a dedicated training session. The former skipper shared a video of his net practice on Instagram, accompanied by the caption “Back in harness.” 

Back in harness 🏏 pic.twitter.com/ocYbtX8FTa
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) November 20, 2023

The footage not only resonated with numerous fans but also caught the keen eye of Vaughan.

The former English captain expressed his admiration for Babar’s skills, stating, “Lots of runs Down under is my guess .”

Lots of runs Down under is my guess .. 👍 https://t.co/CSazRu6U3R
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 20, 2023

On Monday, Chief selector Wahab Riaz had announced an 18-member Pakistan Test squad for the tour to Australia comprising three matches scheduled from 14 December 2023 to 7 January 2024. This will be Wahab’s first assignment since he took charge of the national men’s selection committee last week. 

Pakistan squad for Australia Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Australia tour schedule:

• Four-day match: PM’s XI vs Pakistan – December 6-9: Manuka Oval, Canberra
• 1st Test – Australia vs Pakistan – December 14-18: Perth Stadium
• 2nd Test – Australia vs Pakistan – December 26-30: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
• 3rd Test – Australia vs Pakistan – January 3-7: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)