Beckenham, August 14, 2026: Pakistan captain Babar Azam retired hurt after being struck on the finger during the second day of the team’s three-day warm-up match against the Professional County Club (PCC) Select XI at Kent County Cricket Ground on Friday.
The incident occurred on the final delivery of the 39th over when pacer Manny Lumsden delivered a sharp ball that struck Babar on the finger.
The Pakistan skipper immediately showed signs of discomfort, dropped his bat and received treatment from the team’s medical staff before walking off the field. He had scored five runs from 17 deliveries.
The injury is a concern for Pakistan, with Babar having been struck on the hand for the second time in a month. He suffered a similar blow during Pakistan’s recent Test series against the West Indies.
At the time of filing, Pakistan had reached 127-2 in 44 overs in reply to the PCC Select XI’s first-innings total of 305. Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel were at the crease, with Pakistan still trailing by 178 runs.
Azan Awais and Imam-ul-Haq were the two Pakistan batters dismissed. Azan made 15 from 66 balls, including three boundaries, while Imam scored 37 off 71 deliveries with five fours.
PCC Select XI post competitive total
Earlier, PCC Select XI captain Tom Haines won the toss and elected to bat first, with the decision paying off as the hosts were bowled out for 305 in 69.5 overs.
Pakistan made an impressive start with the ball as Mohammad Abbas dismissed Emilio Gay for a duck and James Rew for four inside the opening seven overs, reducing the hosts to 37-2. Haines then launched a counterattack, scoring a rapid 51 from just 35 deliveries, including 12 fours, before Mohammad Ali ended his innings in the 12th over.
Caleb Falconer and Saif Zaib subsequently rebuilt the innings with a 110-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Zaib top-scored with 65 off 69 balls, striking 12 fours, while Falconer contributed 59 from 89 deliveries with nine boundaries.
The hosts then slipped from 227-5 to 227-8 as Pakistan appeared poised to wrap up the innings quickly. However, Matthew Fisher produced an aggressive counterattack from No. 10, remaining unbeaten on 62 from 53 deliveries to push the PCC Select XI beyond the 300-run mark.
Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Abbas were Pakistan’s leading bowlers with three wickets each, while Khurram Shahzad claimed two. Aamir Jamal and Ali Usman took one wicket apiece. Babar’s fitness will now be closely monitored as Pakistan continue preparations for their upcoming international commitments in England.
