Pakistan have reportedly reached a decision on their red-ball Test captain, with Babar Azam set to replace Shan Masood in the role. The away Test tours against West Indies and England will be Babar’s first assignments as he regains the captaincy role.
Masood’s time as Test captain
Masood was named the side’s captain in November 2023 after Babar Azam stepped down from all-format captaincy.
Since taking over, Pakistan have won only four out of 16 Tests. That record places him among the least successful Test captains in Pakistan’s history in terms of win-loss ratio.
He also holds the joint fourth-worst record among Test captains who have led their sides in more than five matches. Additionally, he has not won a single away Test during his captaincy stint. His worst came as he led Pakistan to a second consecutive 2-0 whitewash against Bangladesh, which was where the discussions of his axing commenced.
Babar to take over a struggling Pakistan
Babar will take over the side when they are struggling to stay afloat in the format. Currently, Pakistan are at the ninth position in the World Test Championship table and certainly on their way to crash out of the competition.
The confirmation is expected to come on Monday, when Pakistan are also likely to announce the squads for both the tours. The team is set to fly to West Indies on July 13, with a tour match scheduled for July 18. The two teams will face each other in the opening Test on July 25.
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