Babar Azam reappointed Pakistan Test captain, Shaheen Afridi dropped for England, West Indies tours

Pakistan have made a major leadership change ahead of their upcoming Test tours, with Babar Azam reappointed as the national Test captain, replacing Shan Masood.

The decision comes after Pakistan endured a disappointing World Test Championship campaign under Masood, winning just four of his 16 Tests in charge and finishing at the bottom of the previous WTC cycle. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the change on Sunday, with selector Aaqib Javed stating that the selection committee believed Babar was the best candidate to lead the side moving forward.

In another significant decision, star left-arm pacer and ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has been dropped from the Test squad for the upcoming away series against the West Indies and England. Experienced fast bowler Hasan Ali has also been left out.

Pakistan will begin their two-match Test series against the West Indies on July 25 in Tarouba, Trinidad, before the second Test in Port of Spain on August 2. The team will then tour England for a three-Test series at Headingley (August 19), Lord’s (August 27), and Edgbaston (September 9).

The selectors have handed maiden Test call-ups to 20-year-old fast bowler Ubaid Shah, middle-order batter Awais Zafar, and left-arm spinner Ali Usman. Veteran pacer Mohammad Abbas is set to spearhead Pakistan’s pace attack alongside Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali.

Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Agha, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah, and Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness for the England tour).