Babar Azam reappointed as Pakistan Test captain; squads for West Indies, England tours announced

Babar Azam was on Sunday reappointed as Pakistan’s Test captain, replacing Shan Masood, for the upcoming two-match series in West Indies starting later this month.

Babar’s second stint as Test skipper brings down the curtain for Masood, who led Pakistan in 16 matches but lost 12 of them.

Pakistan’s high-performance director, Aqib Javed, said the side’s tendency to lose games from winning positions was one of the major concerns alongside Masood’s failure to bring desired results.

“We saw many close Test matches (under Shan’s captaincy). But a few things were not being addressed. Like the Centurion Test, South Africa’s two batters at No. 10 (for the tenth wicket) put on a partnership (51 runs). The game was in our hands. Against the West Indies in Multan, in the second Test, the team was rolled over easily,” Javed said.

“Shan’s own performance during his tenure has been good, but as captain, he has not been able to bring the desired results. We wanted to look for a captain who comes in and leads the team better,” he added.

“The selection committee discussed who could be the best player to lead Pakistan and Azam is the best option,” Javed said.

Babar was previously appointed captain in 2021. He led in 20 matches out of which Pakistan won 10 before Masood was handed over the leadership role.

Pakistan is currently ninth in the World Test Championship points table. After West Indies, the side will tour England for three-match series, marking its first tour to the country after six years.

Pakistan squad for West Indies: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah

Pakistan squad for England: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah

Pakistan squad for England: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah

Published on Jul 05, 2026