The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Babar Azam as the new captain of the national Test team for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, while announcing a 16-member squad for the important overseas assignment. The decision ends Shan Masood’s tenure as Test captain, although he has retained his place in the squad as a player for both series.
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Selection committee member Aqib Javed announced the squad alongside Asad Shafiq and former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, saying preparations for the challenging tour are progressing smoothly. He explained that the selection committee has closely monitored players’ performances across all three formats before finalizing the squad, aiming to build a balanced team capable of delivering strong results in demanding overseas conditions.
Pakistan’s squad includes Babar Azam, Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Owais, Abdullah Fazal, Salman Ali Agha, Ghazi Ghauri, Mohammad Rizwan, Sajid Khan, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Obaid Shah, Owais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad. However, middle-order batter Saud Shakeel missed selection after failing to fully recover from his fitness issues, with officials confirming he requires additional rehabilitation before returning to international cricket.
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Pakistan will begin the tour with a warm-up match in Troubadour on July 18 before facing the West Indies in the opening Test from July 25 to 29. The team will then continue its tour with the England series, where management hopes the new leadership will help produce improved performances in challenging overseas conditions.
Explaining the captaincy change, Aqib Javed acknowledged Shan Masood’s individual contributions but said leadership is ultimately judged by team results. He added that some aspects of Shan’s captaincy could have been stronger, making a leadership change necessary ahead of an important international schedule. The PCB expects Babar Azam’s experience and leadership to provide stability as Pakistan prepares for two demanding Test series abroad.