The Pakistan Cricket Board has removed Shan Masood as Test captain and reappointed Babar Azam to lead the red-ball side. The decision came during the squad announcement for Pakistan’s upcoming two-Test tour of the West Indies.
Masood’s removal follows a tough run of results for the national team. Under his leadership, Pakistan managed just four wins in 16 Test matches while suffering 12 defeats.
This poor run included a 3-0 clean sweep in Australia, a historic 2-0 home series loss to Bangladesh, and further series losses against South Africa and the West Indies, leaving Pakistan at the bottom of the previous World Test Championship table.
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While Masood performed well individually with the bat, averaging 34.06 with two centuries, the team’s inability to win close games forced a change. Chief selector Aaqib Javed explained that repetitive mistakes, poor over-rates, and weak tactical decisions during crucial moments led to the management seeking a better leadership option.
The PCB has returned to Babar Azam to provide immediate stability before challenging overseas tours. Babar previously led the Test side in 20 matches, securing 10 victories, including a home series win against South Africa and away clean sweeps in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
During his first stint as captain, Babar was at his peak as a batter, averaging over 50 in Test cricket. Although his individual form dipped to an average of just over 27 under Masood’s captaincy, the selection committee unanimously backed him as the best available candidate to take the team forward.
Babar’s second tenure as Test captain begins later this month with a two-match series against the West Indies, starting July 25. This will be followed immediately by a three-match Test series in England. While Masood has lost the captaincy, he has kept his place in the 16-member squad.
The touring party also includes four uncapped players: left-arm spinner Ali Usman, batter Muhammad Awais Zafar, fast bowler Ubaid Shah, and wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori. Saud Shakeel has also been selected for the England leg, subject to passing a fitness test.
ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 points table
| Pos | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points | PCT (%) |
| 1 | Australia | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 84 | 87.50 |
| 2 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 75.00 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 72.22 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 58.33 |
| 5 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 44.44 |
| 7 | England | 13 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 38 | 24.36 |
| 8 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 14.81 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8.33 |
