Babar Azam has been appointed as Pakistan's Test captain for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, replacing Shan Masood who led the side to 12 defeats in 16 Tests since taking over in December 2023. The announcement was made by Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed during a press conference in Lahore on Sunday.
Masood's Struggles and Azam's Return
Masood, 36, took over the captaincy from Azam in December 2023 but failed to produce results. Pakistan finished ninth and last in the previous World Test Championship cycle and currently lie ninth again after a 2-0 series loss in Bangladesh in May. "Azam will be our new Test captain as we feel that Masood could not lead as desired," said Javed. "The selection committee discussed who could be the best player to lead Pakistan and Azam is the best option."
This marks Azam's third stint as Test captain. He previously stepped down in November 2023 and again in October 2024. The top-order batsman will now lead the side in a two-Test series against the West Indies starting July 25 in Tarouba, Trinidad, followed by a three-Test series in England beginning August 19.
Squad Changes and Omissions
The selection committee made several changes to the squad. Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali were omitted after being part of the team that lost 2-0 in Bangladesh. In their place, 20-year-old uncapped fast bowler Ubaid Shah, younger brother of Naseem Shah, was included. Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, and Mohammad Ali are the other fast bowlers selected.
Uncapped middle-order batsman Awais Zafar and left-arm spinner Ali Usman earned their first call-ups. The full squad includes: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Agha, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah, and Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness for England).
Upcoming Fixtures
Pakistan will play the first Test against the West Indies in Tarouba from July 25, followed by the second Test in Port-of-Spain from August 2. They will then travel to England for Tests at Headingley (August 19), Lord's (August 27), and Edgbaston (September 9).
