"Zero Self Respect": Babar Azam Thrashed Online After Getting Pakistan Test Captaincy

Babar Azam was named the Pakistan Test captain [Source: X]

The Pakistan Cricket Board has reappointed Babar Azam as the men’s Test captain for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England. The official squad announcement came on 5 July 2026. 

Babar takes over from Shan Masood, who endured a difficult tenure that included a 2-0 series whitewash against Bangladesh and a last-place finish in the 2023-25 World Test Championship. 

The new captain will lead a 17-member squad in two Tests in the Caribbean starting 25 July, followed by three Tests in England from 19 August. Shan Masood, retained as a player, now hands the leadership back to the man he succeeded.

How Did Babar Azam Enter The Captaincy Race?

Pressure had been building on Shan Masood for months. Pakistan’s home and away results spiralled downward, and the historic series loss to Bangladesh proved decisive. 

According to reports from Pakistani journalist Aurangzeb Younis on 3 July, the PCB had already signalled that a captaincy change was imminent. 

Masood appealed to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi to let him continue in the name of stability, yet the board decided to move on. 

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With other options limited, the selectors turned to Babar Azam, who previously led Pakistan in 20 Tests between 2021 and 2023, winning 10 and losing only six. His prior record and seniority made him the most straightforward choice.

Internet Thrashes Babar Azam For Accepting Pakistan Test Captaincy Stint

News of Babar’s return sparked sharp reactions on social media. Several fans highlighted that since 2024 the star batter has not registered a single Test century, yet he has now been handed the captaincy twice. 

Many supporters acknowledged his leadership experience, while others urged caution. With a mix of hopeful and deeply sceptical thoughts about another Babar Azam captaincy stint, the internet showered down after the news broke.

Let’s take a look at how the internet reacted to Babar Azam’s Pakistan Test captaincy appointment:

𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢

@SaurabhTripathS

Pakistan the whole country itself haven't been introduced to something called "self respect", I don't blame Babar Azam alone ! Captains - got sacked - got dropped - comes back - got dropped - comes back as captain - will get drop once again by next year. Clown 🤡

Souvik 45©

@SouvikPurkaya16

I just needed a person to back me in life even after those brutal failures just like PCB backs Babar Azam as he's been reinstated as the Pakistan Test Captain! Babar had a disastrous Captaincy run across formats from 2021-2024, with Pak Cricket in its lowest. PCB and Babar !!

Sheraz Akhter

@Sherazakhter08

@sabassheikh Salman Saud both were contenders or you could have invest in some youngster. Pcb is full of fool people can't expect good things from them but I didn't knew Babar is so 0 on self respect and power hungry that after multiple humiliations if someone force him he will bow down agan.

Vaishant Maheshwari

@VaishantMahesh2

Spineless board PCB For every solution,their is Babar Azam As if he is some greatest of all time.. and Babar Azam is also okay with it.. Self respect ?

Rabia

@RabiaaAsgharr

When you're in a having zero self respect competition and your opponent is Babar Azam...

Sheraz Akhter

@Sherazakhter08

@sabassheikh Good decision to remove Shan but worst decision to offer him again and poor from Babar showing 0 self respect to accept this after him being humiliated previously.

How Babar Azam Can Fix The Pakistan Test Team?

Pakistan’s red-ball decline stems from deep-rooted issues that a change of captain alone cannot solve. Babar’s biggest task will be to influence the environment around the team.

First, he can push for a stable domestic structure and shield players from the fear of being dropped after one or two failures. 

The constant reorganisation of tournaments and the coaching setup has bred insecurity. A settled dressing room, where performers from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy are valued, will help rebuild the lost red-ball identity.

Second, he must bring in genuine first-class specialists over white-ball stars. The trend of rewarding PSL cameos with Test call-ups has brought technically undercooked batters into the five-day game. 

Babar, as captain, can demand a selection policy that respects the hard grind of domestic red-ball cricket.

Third, senior batters, including Babar himself, need to play the long, match-shaping innings that Pakistan has been missing. The pattern of building promising starts only to collapse rests heavily on the experienced top order. 

Lastly, he needs to address the bowling unit’s loss of potency. Key pacers have struggled with injuries and a drop in speed, while overly spin-friendly home pitches have backfired by exposing Pakistan’s own batting against quality spin. 

Babar can work with the team management to manage fast bowlers’ workloads sensibly and request surfaces that keep the pace attack in the game, rather than rank turners that hurt Pakistan more than the opposition.

Pakistan Looking For A Reset With Babar?

This appointment is being viewed as an attempt at a hard reset. Babar Azam remains Pakistan’s second-most successful captain by total international wins with 84 victories, behind only Imran Khan. 

His Test captaincy record of 10 wins in 20 matches offers a statistical upgrade on the Shan Masood era. The PCB is clearly banking on his experience to stabilise a dressing room that has seen constant changes.

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