Babar Azam has been named captain of the Test squads for the tours of both West Indies and England, the Pakistan Men’s National Selection Committee announced on Sunday.
Babar returns to the captaincy with strong experience in Test cricket. He previously led Pakistan from 2020 to 2023, captaining 20 Test matches with 10 wins, six losses and four draws.
Masood became Test captain in 2023 before the tour of Australia, where Pakistan lost the series 3-0. He captained the team in 16 Tests, winning four and losing 12, with a win percentage of 25%.
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During his tenure, Pakistan also suffered a 2-0 home Test series defeat to Bangladesh, one of the team’s most disappointing recent results.
In seven Test series under his leadership, Pakistan’s only series win came at home against England in 2024, which it won 2-1.
Pakistan will leave for the West Indies on July 13, where it will play a four-day warm-up match starting July 18.
The two-Test series against the West Indies will take place in Trinidad and Tobago. The first Test will be played from July 25 to 29, and the second from Aug. 2 to 6.
After the Caribbean tour, Pakistan will travel to England for a three-Test series.
The first Test will be at Headingley in Leeds from Aug. 19 to 23, followed by the second at Lord’s from Aug. 27 to 31. The final Test will be at Edgbaston in Birmingham from Sept. 9 to 13.
