The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reinstated Babar Azam as the captain of the national Test side, ending Shan Masood’s tenure ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming overseas assignments against the West Indies and England. The board also announced a 16 member squad for the two series, with fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi missing out on selection. Pakistan will begin their tour with a two Test series against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. The opening Test will be played from July 25 to July 29, while the second is scheduled for August 2 to August 6.
After concluding the Caribbean leg, Pakistan will head to England for a three match Test series. The first Test will take place at Headingley in Leeds from August 19, followed by the second at Lord’s beginning August 27. The final Test will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham from September 9.
Babar Reclaims Test Captaincy After PCB Leadership Change
Babar Azam will lead Pakistan’s Test side for the second time in his career after the PCB opted to remove Shan Masood from the role. The change comes as Pakistan prepare for a demanding run of overseas cricket and marks a return to leadership for one of the country’s most accomplished batters. Masood’s spell as captain comes to an end after overseeing a difficult period for Pakistan in the longest format. Across 16 Test matches as skipper, Pakistan lost 12, making him the first captain in Test history to suffer 12 defeats in his first 16 games.
Pakistan also finished Masood’s tenure on a run of seven straight Test defeats, matching the team’s longest losing streak in the format. Under his leadership, Pakistan contested seven Test series, winning only one while losing four. Those results left them rooted to the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship 2023 to 2025 standings.
His captaincy began with a 3-0 series defeat in Australia before Pakistan endured another historic setback by losing a home Test series to Bangladesh for the first time. The team’s only major success under Masood came when Pakistan recovered to defeat England in a home Test series later that year.
Although results failed to improve, Masood performed better individually. He averaged 34.06 with the bat as captain, an improvement on his previous Test average of 28.51. During that period, he scored two centuries, including one in South Africa, along with seven fifties.
Pakistan Name Squad for Upcoming Test Tours
The squad announced by the PCB features:
Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.
The PCB also confirmed that Saud Shakeel’s participation in the England series will depend on receiving fitness clearance.
Babar Eyes Successful Second Spell as Test Skipper
The PCB’s decision to restore Babar Azam reflects confidence in his previous record as captain despite his recent dip in Test form. Since stepping down from the role in 2023, Babar has averaged a little over 27 with the bat in Test cricket.
His first stint as Test captain, however, was considerably more productive. Pakistan won half of the 20 Tests he led, including a home series victory over South Africa and convincing away series wins against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Babar also produced some of the finest batting of his Test career while leading the side, averaging above 50 as captain. However, his tenure also included a disappointing chapter when Pakistan suffered a 3-0 home whitewash against England, the only time they have lost every match in a home Test series.
With challenging tours of the West Indies and England followed by home series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka later in the season, Babar begins his second spell as Test captain during one of Pakistan’s busiest schedules in recent years.
