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—Pakistan have reappointed Babar Azam as Test captain for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, replacing Shan Masood after a disappointing run of team results
Abdullah Zahid
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named Babar Azam as captain of the national Test team for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, marking his return to the leadership role after the selectors opted for a change following Pakistan’s recent performances.
The 16-member squad includes Babar Azam (captain), Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Abdullah Fazal, Salman Ali Agha, Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Rizwan, Sajid Khan, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Ubaid Shah, Owais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel has been ruled out of the squad due to fitness concerns.
Pakistan will begin the tour with a two-day warm-up match in Tarouba on July 18 before taking on the West Indies in the first Test from July 25 to 29 at the same venue. The team will then travel to England for the remainder of the tour.
Speaking about the captaincy change, PCB Director High Performance Aaqib Javed said the selection committee decided to make a change because the desired results had not been achieved under Shan Masood’s leadership.
“I and Asad Shafiq have been part of the selection committee for the past 18 months, while Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed joined six months ago. Every format has different requirements, and a captain also has responsibilities,” Aaqib said.
He acknowledged that Shan Masood had performed well individually but added that the team’s overall results had fallen short of expectations.
“We have tried to bring change so that the team can produce better results. The pace of our fast bowlers is also a matter of concern,” he added.
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq stressed the importance of consistency in international cricket.
“Consistency is the key to success. As selectors, we evaluate whether a player and captain have been consistent in their performances,” Misbah said.
The appointment marks Babar Azam’s return as Pakistan’s Test captain as the team looks to improve its performances in the ICC World Test Championship cycle.
