Babar Azam Named Captain In Pakistan Test Squad Vs England And West Indies

Babar Azam reappointed as Pakistan captain (Source: AFP)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Test squad for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England during a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, 5 July. 

The biggest news from the squad selection is that Babar Azam has been reappointed as Pakistan's Test captain, replacing Shan Masood.

Babar Azam will lead the team in both Test series as Pakistan begins an important overseas season. The team will first travel to the West Indies for a two-match Test series, which will be played from 25 July to 6 August. 

After that, Pakistan will tour England for a challenging three-match Test series scheduled from 19 August to 13 September.

Also Read: How Pakistan Will Shoot Itself In The Foot If They Appoint Babar Azam As Test Captain

Babar Azam Appointed As Test Captain, Shan Masood Sacked

It is important to note that the PCB made this decision to bring back Babar Azam after the team's poor performances under Shan Masood's leadership.

He led Pakistan in 16 Test matches, winning only 4 and losing 12. Because of these disappointing results, he has been removed as captain.

This will be Babar Azam's second time leading the Pakistan Test team. He previously served as Test captain from 2021 to 2023 and has a decent and impressive record.

Shaheen Afridi Also Dropped, 4 Uncapped Players Added

Talking about the rest of the squad, the ‘Men in Green’ have announced a 16-member squad for the two-match Test series against the West Indies. A 17-member squad has also been named for the three-match Test series against England.

Saud Shakeel has been included as the 17th player for the England tour, but his selection depends on his fitness.

The squads also feature four uncapped players who could make their Test debuts. They are Ali Usman, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Ubaid Shah, and wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori.

However, another notable omission from the squad is fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Noman Ali.

Pakistan's squad for West Indies series:

Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah

Pakistan's schedule for West Indies series:

Pakistan's squad for England series:

Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah

Pakistan's schedule for England series:

Can Babar Azam Turn Pakistan's Fortune?

Pakistan are currently in ninth place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The team has struggled recently and is going through a difficult period.

During Pakistan's tour of Bangladesh in 2026, the Tigers won both the ODI and Test series. They claimed the three-match ODI series 2-1 and then completed a 2-0 sweep in the two-match Test series.

Now that the PCB has once again placed its trust in Babar Azam, fans will hope he can help the team return to winning ways and improve Pakistan's fortunes.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Turns India Captain In Front Of Shreyas Iyer As Ishan Kishan Watches