Babar Azam named Pakistan Test captain for West Indies and England tours

Pakistan have removed Shan Masood as ​test captain ​and reinstated Babar Azam ahead ​of their upcoming test series against West Indies and England, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said ‌on ⁠Sunday.Masood, ⁠who succeeded Babar in November 2023, steps ​down after a difficult time in charge.The left-hander ​captained Pakistan in 16 matches and lost 12 of them. Masood's spell ​at the helm came ⁠under increasing ‌scrutiny after Pakistan were ​whitewashed ​2-0 by Bangladesh in May.Read More: Bethell spoils Sooryavanshi's big day as England edge out IndiaPakistan ⁠will play a two-match test series ​against the West Indies from ​July 25 to August 6, followed by a three-match series in England from August 19 to September 13.PAKISTAN SQUAD FOR WEST INDIES ‌AND ENGLAND SERIESBabar Azam (captain), 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, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah, Saud Shakeel (for England tour, subject to fitness clearance)

Lahore, July 5: Pakistan have handed Babar Azam the Test captaincy once again while announcing their squads for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, marking the former skipper's return to leadership after he stepped away from the role in 2023. The Pakistan Men's National Selection Committee unveiled the squads during a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday. Babar will lead the side in both the two-Test series against the West Indies, scheduled from July 25 to August 6, and the three-Test series in England, scheduled for August 19 to September 13.OFFICIAL: PAKISTAN TEST SQUAD ANNOUNCED! AQIB JAVED has officially announced Pakistan's 16-member Test squad for the West Indies tour.Babar Azam returns as Pakistan's Test captain!Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (C), Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Abdullah Fazal, Awais Zafar,…— Kashif (@KashifNdmCric) July 5, 2026 A 16-member squad has been named for the West Indies tour, while a 17-member group has been picked for the England series. Saud Shakeel has been included in the England squad, subject to fitness.The selectors have also rewarded four uncapped players with call-ups. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-handed batter Muhammad Awais Zafar, right-arm pacer Ubaid Shah, and wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori have all been named in the squads as Pakistan look to inject fresh talent into the Test setup.Babar's appointment marks a significant turnaround in Pakistan's leadership timeline. The 31-year-old had resigned as captain across all formats in November 2023 following Pakistan's group-stage exit from the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India.Also Watch:Although he returned as Pakistan's ODI and T20I captain in March 2024, that stint proved short-lived. Babar stepped down from the white-ball captaincy again in October 2024, ending his second spell in charge after just six months.His latest appointment now sees him return to the helm of the Test side as Pakistan prepare for two challenging overseas assignments against the West Indies and England.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Struggles To Wear Team India Cap In Heartwarming Debut Moment During IND vs ENG 2nd T20 | VideoSquad for West Indies tour: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood, and Ubaid ShahSquad for England tour: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood, and Ubaid ShahSchedule for West Indies series:July 25-29 – 1st Test, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, TaroubaAugust 2-6 – 2nd Test, Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Port of SpainSchedule for England series:August 19-23 – 1st Test, LeedsAugust 27-31 – 2nd Test, Lord’sSeptember 9-13 – 3rd Test, Birmingham (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Babar Azam has been named captain of the Test squads for the tours of both West Indies and England, the Pakistan Men’s National Selection Committee announced on Sunday. A 16-member squad has been named for the West Indies series, while a 17-member squad has been announced for the England series. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squad lineup in a press release. Pakistan will play a two-match Test series against the West Indies from July 25 to August 6, followed by a three-match Test series in England from August 19 to September 13. The PCB statement added that left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-handed batter Muhammad Awais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Ubaid Shah and wicket-keeper batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori are the uncapped players in the squad. Previously, sources had reported that several key decision-makers were not in favour of either reinstating Azam as captain or handing the additional responsibility of Test leadership to T20 skipper Salman Ali Agha. In February, Azam was moved down the batting order for Pakistan’s final T20 World Cup group game against Namibia for scoring too slowly. 16-member squad (in alphabetical order) for West Indies series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah. 17-member squad (in alphabetical order) for England series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah. More to follow

Pakistan Men’s National Selection Committee announces test squads during a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium