Pakistan captain Babar Azam is going to perform Haj this year along with thousands of Pakistanis, sources said on Monday.
They informed that the 28-year-old cricketer will be accompanied by his mother.
According to sources, Babar will go to Saudi Arabia in the second week of June. On the other hand, it is known from reliable sources that some other cricketers including Iftekhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Fahim Ashraf and Fakhar Zaman will also perform Hajj this year.
Besides, Pakistan’s former Test cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq will also perform Hajj with his wife.
Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakur said in March that 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims will perform Hajj this year.
Babar, Iftikhar, Fahim and Haris Rauf and other national cricketers performed Umrah during Ramadan.
It may be noted here that the Pakistan team has no international assignments until the end of July, when they are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series. ICC Test Championship matches may be converted into ODIs if Sri Lanka qualify for the World Cup.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are already in talks to play ODI matches ahead of the ICC World Cup in India.
There is also uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup, which the PCB is scheduled to host in September this year.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and is keen to ensure that the event is held at a neutral venue. However, the PCB is not keen on hosting the event outside Pakistan as it would affect its efforts to bring international cricket back to the country.
The BCCI is also unlikely to adopt the hybrid model proposed by the PCB, which gave India the option of playing their matches at a neutral venue.
