Injured Babar Azam all set to return home today

Pakistan batsman Babar Azam, who has been ruled out from England Test series due to injury, will be returning to home today (Tuesday).

The batsman will be returning via a connected flight from Heathrow to Dubai to Lahore. Babar was ruled out of the remainder of the Test series after fracturing his forearm following the blow he took from Ben Stokes on the second day at Lord's.

Babar was on 68 when he was hit on his left arm - he was not wearing an arm guard - and after assessment in the middle he retired hurt. He did not go straight for an x-ray but did not return to bat for the remainder of day.

Cliff Deacon, the Pakistan physiotherapist, said an injury like Babar's would see him out of action for around four to six weeks. "We decided we were going to do a precautionary x-ray at the end of the day's play," Deacon said.

Unfortunately, the x-ray confirmed there was a fracture. The fracture's in the forearm, it's one of the two bones in the forearm in the distal third of the arm, just above the wrist. That's why he couldn't hold his bat properly."

The Pakistan management have decided not to call up a replacement batsman. The squad includes Usman Salahuddin, Fakhar Zaman and Sami Aslam as spare specialist batsmen.