Drawing from his own experiences of touring England in 1992, 1996 and 2001, Latif highlighted the challenges visiting teams can face with the local media. He suggested that the PCB should carefully manage its players’ media responsibilities throughout the series.
“An England tour is a difficult assignment, and the English media often tries to unnecessarily involve visiting teams in news stories,” Latif said on Geo News’ Score.
Why Rashid Latif wants Babar Azam away from the media
Latif believes Babar’s extensive experience in international cricket makes him an important figure within the Pakistan setup, but suggested that he should have limited media exposure during the England tour.
Instead, the former wicketkeeper recommended that the PCB rely on senior players such as Shan Masood to handle more of the press duties. Latif feels Masood’s previous experience of playing in England could make him better equipped to deal with the local media.
“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 played in England and has better experience of dealing with the English media,” Latif said.
Latif names alternatives for media duties
Latif also suggested Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Abbas as potential options to represent Pakistan during media interactions. The idea, according to the former Pakistan international, is to allow the team’s key players and leadership group to focus more closely on preparation and match strategy.
Pakistan will begin their three-Test series against England at Headingley in Leeds on August 19. The second Test is scheduled at Lord’s from August 27, while the final match will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham from September 9.
The series will be Pakistan’s first Test assignment in England since 2020 and forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
Pakistan enter the tour after drawing their recent two-Test series against the West Indies 1-1. Babar Azam has also returned to the Test captaincy after Shan Masood’s tenure ended following a difficult run of results, putting added responsibility on Babar ahead of the challenging England assignment.
