Pakistan will be without Babar Azam for the first Test against England at Headingley, with Salman Ali Agha taking over as captain for the series opener on Wednesday.
Babar has been ruled out after failing to recover from an injury to his right hand. The Pakistan batter was struck by England Under-19 paceman Manny Lumsden during Pakistan’s warm-up match against a County Select XI last week and retired hurt as a precaution.
The injury is to the same hand that was hit during Pakistan’s second Test against the West Indies earlier this month.
Babar did bat briefly in the nets at Headingley on Monday and was cleared of a fracture to his middle finger. However, he was not deemed fit enough to play or captain Pakistan in the first of the three Tests.
His absence is a significant setback for Pakistan, which is seeking its first Test series win in England in 30 years. Babar is one of Pakistan’s most experienced batters, with nine Test centuries and a career average of 43.68.
Pakistan did win its two most recent Tests against England in 2024, but those victories came at home on spin-friendly pitches in Multan and Rawalpindi. Headingley is expected to offer a very different challenge.
Published on Aug 19, 2026
