Babar Azam Reinstated as Captain of Pakistan's Test Team

Babar Azam Takes the Helm Again

Babar Azam has been reinstated as the captain of Pakistan's Test cricket squad following the dismissal of Shan Masood from the role on Sunday.

Masood's removal was anticipated after the team suffered 12 losses in 16 matches during his leadership, which began when he took over from Babar in late 2023.

Selector Aaqib Javed expressed to reporters in Lahore, "We aimed to find a captain who could guide the team more effectively."

He added, "While Shan performed well individually, we were not achieving the results we expected under his captaincy."

The selection committee unanimously agreed on Babar's return, with no other candidates being considered.

Under Masood's leadership, Pakistan's Test performance sharply declined, starting with a 3-0 defeat to Australia in his first series. The team also faced a historic 2-0 loss to Bangladesh at home, with the only series victory during Masood's tenure coming against England, where Pakistan won 2-1. Ultimately, the team finished last in the World Test Championship points table.

Javed highlighted various issues within the team during Masood's captaincy, including defeats against South Africa and the West Indies.

"The captain is accountable for closing out games," Javed noted. "Some responsibilities lie with the team, others with the selectors, and some with the captain, including managing the team's over rate, making DRS calls, and making the right decisions at the toss."

Masood had a commendable run with the bat, scoring two centuries and seven half-centuries, including consecutive fifties against Australia in Melbourne.

Before Masood's appointment, Babar had led Pakistan to 10 victories in 20 Tests, starting his captaincy with a 2-0 win over South Africa at home, followed by clean sweeps against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka away.

Babar's batting average exceeded 50 runs per innings in Test matches, with his only setback occurring during a 3-0 loss to England at home.

Babar's second term as captain will commence with a two-Test series in the West Indies later this month, where Masood has been included as one of the 16 players.

Following the West Indies series, Pakistan is set to play three Test matches in England, with Saud Shakeel being added as a 17th player, pending fitness.

The squad features uncapped players such as left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-handed batter Awais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Ubaid Shah, and wicketkeeper batter Ghazi Ghori.

Squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imamul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah.