Babar Azam (Source: AFP)
Pakistan cricket team suffered a humiliating 104-run defeat to Bangladesh in their opening Test in Dhaka. However, the misery started only a day before the game even began, when in-form Babar Azam was ruled out of the 1st Test due to an unexpected injury scare.
That said, in what seems to be promising news for the Shan Masood-led Men in Green, star batter Babar Azam is all set to return to the Pakistan Playing XI vs Bangladesh for the next Test of the 2-match series.
Pakistan head coach confirms Babar Azam’s return vs Bangladesh
In a significant development, Babar will return for the second Test against Bangladesh, starting May 16, 2026, in Sylhet. When asked about his availability, Pakistan's head coach, Sarfaraz Ahmed, announced the news at a pre-match press conference.
For the unversed, Babar Azam missed Pakistan’s first Test against the Bangla Tigers at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. In the released statement, the team management did not specify whether he would be ruled out of the series altogether, stating instead, that his condition was being monitored by the team’s medical panel.
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The injury was a learnt as a significant blow to Pakistan, just as Babar appeared to have hit form, albeit in a different format. He was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026), where he led his team, Peshwar Zalmi, to the title, having lost just one match along the way.
It was reported that Babar had arrived in Bangladesh in anticipation of a return to national colours after a slump in the T20 World Cup 2026. He trained for two days with the side without apparent discomfort, but woke up with pain in his left knee only a day before the game, with the medical team opting to take him out of contention for the first Test.
Nonetheless, as per recent reports, he has resumed training and is deemed fit. Thus, his return is crucial after Pakistan's 104-run loss in the first Test.
Babar Azam poised to make a captaincy return
After Pakistan’s humiliating loss in the opening game against Bangladesh, assertions emerged about the former skipper, Babar Azam’s, return to the captaincy.
According to PTI, a source close to the team said that a campaign has begun to reinstate Babar as Pakistan captain for the remaining matches of the World Test Championship cycle, with Pakistan scheduled to play seven more Tests this year.
The defeat at the hands of hosts Bangladesh sparked backlash in Pakistan, with the current captain, Shaan Masood, and his own batting, coming under criticism. Masood failed in both innings of the Dhaka Test, adding to the pressure on a captaincy tenure that had already produced a damaging sequence of results.
It is worth noting that Babar has already led Pakistan across formats between 2019 and 2023 before stepping down after the team’s poor campaign in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Shan Masood was then appointed Pakistan's Test captain as the Men in Green sought a new leadership phase.
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