Babar Azam Returns as Pakistan Test Captain After Shan Masood’s Removal

Pakistan have made a big change in Test cricket. They have removed Shan Masood as captain and brought back Babar Azam for a second stint in charge.

The decision was announced alongside the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against West Indies later this month.

Masood’s time as captain was tough. He led Pakistan in 16 Tests and lost 12 of them. No captain in Test history has ever lost 12 of their first 16 matches. Pakistan have also lost their last seven Tests, their joint-worst run ever.

Aaqib Javed, Pakistan’s high-performance director, explained the thinking behind the change. He said the team often gave up winning positions under Masood. He pointed to the Centurion Test against South Africa, where the last-wicket pair put on a big partnership, and the Multan Test against West Indies, where the team collapsed.

“Shan’s own performance during his tenure has been good, but as captain, he has not been able to bring the desired results,” Aaqib said. “We wanted to look for a captain who comes in and leads the team better.”

Masood’s form actually improved as captain. He averaged 34.06 with the armband, nearly six runs more than before his appointment. He scored two centuries and several fifties. But the results did not follow.

The return to Babar reflects a lack of other options. Since giving up captaincy in 2023, Babar’s Test form has dipped. He has averaged just over 27 under Masood.

But as captain, Babar had a better record. He led Pakistan in 20 Tests and won 10. He also averaged over 50 with the bat during that time. His tenure included clean sweeps in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, there were also low points, including a 3-0 home whitewash against England.

Babar now takes charge at a busy time. The West Indies series is followed by a three-match tour of England and a packed home season against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

                                               

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