Babar Azam appointed Pakistan Test captain

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday appointed Babar Azam as Pakistan’s new Test captain, replacing opener Shan Masood ahead of the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England.

The announcement was made during a press conference held by the PCB’s national selection committee at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Babar Azam captained Pakistan from 2020 to 2023. He led the side in 20 Test matches, registering 10 victories, six defeats and four draws.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming Test tour of the West Indies.

The squad includes Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azaan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Owais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah.

Aaqib Javed revealed that Saud Shakeel will require more time to regain full fitness before returning to action.

The Pakistan Test tour of the Caribbean comes at a crucial stage of the ICC World Test Championship, with both teams aiming to improve their standings in the WTC 2025-27 cycle.

Pakistan will enter the series under pressure after suffering a 2-0 Test series defeat against Bangladesh national cricket team earlier this month. The disappointing result raised fresh concerns over Pakistan’s performances in red-ball cricket as they continue their rebuilding process in the longest format.

Pakistan vs West Indies Test series schedule:

1st Test: July 25-29 — Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago

2nd Test: August 2-6 — Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago