Babar Azam said that he will play for Pakistan in their second Test against England and promised that fans will be seeing a “different” side to the one that lost last week at the Oval by an innings and 103 runs. The Pakistan captain had been unable to play the first Test with an injury but he said that he is now 90 percent fit and will be leading the team out at Lord’s.

Babar had missed the first Test with a finger injury. “Yes I have batted a couple of times in the nets and I am comfortable and 90 percent okay,” said Babar in a press-conference on the eve of the second Test. While Babar has struggled with poor form for a number of years — he hasn’t scored a Test century since December 2022 — he holds a strong record in England. The 31-year-old averages 65.75 on English soil and 53.83 in 14 innings against England.

Pakistan’s meek surrender at the Oval had led to a lot of consternation about the state of the country’s once-great Test team. Pakistan had gone on a run of three consecutive Test series wins in England between 1987 and 1996. However, Babar said that Pakistan tend to be at their best when they have been written off.

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“We as a team have this ability to make a statement when we are written off and I think you will see a different side at Lords which historically has been a good ground for us,” Babar said.

Babar also talked about senior players having to take more responsibility on the tour. “These are our best players and we have to back them to give them confidence but even I believe that if someone doesn’t perform despite chances then one must think about changes,” he added. “We’re not playing up to the mark, the way the England team is playing,” Babar said of Pakistan. “But after that, we sat together and discussed our mistakes. “And we just forget those things and look forward to tomorrow’s match.”