In an unexpected yet heartwarming moment during the third Test of the Pakistan vs England series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, a Pakistani fan expressed his unwavering support for Babar Azam, despite the star batter being dropped from the team. The placard held by the fan, which read “I skipped school to see King Babar,” drew widespread attention as it showcased the love and loyalty Pakistani cricket fans have for their captain, even during a tough phase in his career.

Fan's loyalty Amid Babar Azam's omission

Babar Azam’s exclusion from the final two Test matches against England came as a surprise to many, given his standing as one of Pakistan’s premier batters. However, a prolonged rough patch, including scores of 30 and 5 in the first Test against England in Multan and a difficult series at home against Bangladesh, forced the selectors to take the tough call. Despite his absence, fans continued to root for him, with one dedicated supporter skipping school to see the "King."

See Also: Ravichandran Ashwin becomes all-time leading wicket-taker in World Test Championship history

England’s struggle as Pakistan dominate the decider

While Babar Azam was left out, the decider Test saw Pakistan take control of the game early on. By lunch on Day 1, England had slumped to 110 for 5, with Pakistani bowlers Sajid Khan and Noman Ali wreaking havoc on the top order. Sajid claimed three crucial wickets, while Noman chipped in with two, leaving England in deep trouble and struggling to keep their hopes alive in the series.

I remember the song...

Main hasu ya rou karu main kya karu!

— Sourabh Sanyal 🇮🇳 (@sourabhsanyal) October 24, 2024

Fer toh Babar ke ghar Jana chayie tha, aajkal Briyani kha reha hoga ghar me 😅😂

— Make India Proud 🇮🇳 (@ankushmahajann) October 24, 2024

Awkward. pic.twitter.com/zpGS1MTJRn

— England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) October 24, 2024

Fer toh Babar ke ghar Jana chayie tha, aajkal Briyani kha reha hoga ghar me 😅😂

— Make India Proud 🇮🇳 (@ankushmahajann) October 24, 2024

Naah, this is deliberate trolling.

— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) October 24, 2024

That's strange! Kids should be taught the importance of education, not allowed to skip school for such things. It's not a good example for the future.

— Ateeq Ur Rahman (@AbbasiAteeq20) October 24, 2024

England have decided to play with the three frontline spinners for the Third Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, Rehan Ahmed who made his debut memorable back in December 2022 in Karachi is back for the third Test along with the Pacer Gus Atkinson. These two will replace Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts.

Can Rehan Ahmed shine again in Pakistan?

Rehan Ahmed last played in India, where he took 11 wickets in three matches, but he was sidelined for the entire English summer. He made his debut in Karachi in their 2022 Tour where he picked up five wickets and helped visitors complete their Whitewash against the hosts. Rehan has picked up 18 wickets at an average of 34.50 in 4 Tests. He will join the leading wicket-taker of this series Jack Leach and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.

Gus Atkinson, who played in the first Test at Multan, took four wickets for 136 runs. He bowled brilliantly on the pitch, which helped the batters. He played a key role in achieving a reverse swing, dismissing Shan Masood and Babar Azam during the evening session on day four, leaving Pakistan struggling at 41 for 3.

While reverse swing might not come into play as much as it did in Multan, still Atkinson who bowls at 140 KPHs can certainly challenge the Pakistan batters. The other pacer along with Atkinson will be Skipper Ben Stokes who made his return to the side after nine weeks and bowled 10 overs combined in Pakistan's two innings. 

Pakistan have taken some measures in the past three days to make the Rawalpindi surface, which has historically favour Pacers more than Spinners. They have deployed industrial fans at both ends similar to what they did in Multan to dry the surface. These adjustments have led England to believe that the pitch will now offer more support to spinners.

England's Playing XI For the Third Test:

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamies Smith (WK), Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, and Shoaib Bashir.