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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has turned to Babar Azam for its upcoming Test series against West Indies and England. The 31-year-old will be leading the Pakistan national cricket team after more than a few years.
Appointing Babar Azam as the captain of the team again was a surprising move by the national cricket team selectors, as in the recent times, the batsman’s performance across formats was not so impressive.
Questions were raised over PCB removing Category A from central contracts
Babar’s career for the national cricket team became uncertain when the Pakistan Cricket Board removed Category A from the players’ central contracts. In a recent interview, former cricketer and now selector, Aaqib Javed said that the team currently does not have a single world-class cricketer; That is why they decided to remove Category A from the central contracting system.
Since Babar Azam’s form was questionable, especially in the limited overs format, it was believed that the PCB might intend to exclude the star batsman from the selection process for the national cricket team.
All those speculations were proved wrong when the PCB announced Babar as its captain for the Test against West Indies and then the red-ball series against England. Both series will be on away conditions. The selectors have appointed Babar Azam as the captain of the Test team in place of Shan Masood. However, Masood remains in the team.
Babar Azam performed well during his first stint as Pakistan captain in Tests
The 31-year-old batsman’s previous stint as captain of the Test team was really good. He captained Pakistan in 10 of the 20 matches, losing only 6. Babar Azam was appointed captain in 2021 and remains in charge until 2023. Under his leadership, Pakistan recorded Test victories over opponents such as South Africa, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
He also performed well with the bat. As captain, the right-handed batsman scored 1727 runs in 35 innings at an average of 50.79, while his overall average in his Test career is 38.78. As Pakistan’s captain in the longest format of the game, he also recorded eleven 50s and four centuries.
Babar Azam discusses his plans to get the team on the right track
After retaining his place as captain of the Test team, Babar said that he had learned a lot during his previous stint as captain. Over the years, he has gained more experience, maturity and clarity as a player. This time, he is more confident than ever to perform well keeping the proper game plan in mind.
“I have learned a lot from my past experience as captain as well as my time as a player. With time, you gain maturity and clarity. I am confident that this time, with good planning and a positive mindset, I will lead the team well,” the captain said in a recent interview.
He said, “As captain, my main focus will be on discipline, fitness and performance. These things will mean a lot to me. I will not compromise on these things.”
It is noteworthy that Babar’s appointment as captain was decided after his brilliant performance in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he led Peshawar Zalmi to glory as the champions of the league.
