Babar Azam Pakistan Test Captain Again: Why PCB Removed Shan Masood
Three years ago, Babar Azam stepped down from the Test captaincy under pressure. On July 5, 2026, the PCB handed it right back to him. Shan Masood is out after 16 Tests and 12 defeats, and Pakistan cricket is once again turning to its biggest name to fix what has become a genuine crisis in the longest format.
The timing matters. Pakistan face West Indies next month and England in August, with the World Test Championship cycle already in trouble. Consequently, the selectors, led by Aaqib Javed, clearly decided they had run out of patience and run out of alternatives.
Why PCB Removed Shan Masood as Test Captain
Shan Masood took the Pakistan Test captaincy in 2023 with real goodwill behind him. What followed was one of the worst captaincy runs in Pakistan’s Test history. He captained 16 Tests, lost 12 of them, and according to ESPNCricinfo, no captain in Test history has ever lost 12 of their first 16 matches. Not one.
The defeats were not just losses. Pakistan threw away winning positions repeatedly. Aaqib Javed specifically pointed to the Centurion Test against South Africa, where Pakistan let a tenth-wicket partnership develop when the game was theirs to take. Then came the Bangladesh series, a 2-0 home whitewash against a team Pakistan should have beaten comfortably. That was the final nail.
Notably, Masood kept his place in the squad despite losing the captaincy. His personal batting improved under the pressure of leadership, averaging 34.06 with the armband, including two centuries. The PCB made clear the captaincy change had nothing to do with his batting form.
Babar Azam as Pakistan Test Captain: His Record
Before Masood, Babar had led Pakistan in 20 Tests with a record that, while not dominant, was at least respectable compared to what came after.
Babar Azam Test Captaincy Record
Stat | Record |
Tests as Captain | 20 |
Won | 10 |
Lost | 6 |
Drawn | 4 |
Win Percentage | 50% |
Fifty percent is not extraordinary, but compared to Masood’s 25%, it is a clear upgrade on paper. Babar’s first stint ended after Pakistan’s early exit from the 2023 T20 World Cup, a decision widely seen as reactionary at the time. Whether this second chance in Test cricket produces different results is the question Pakistan fans will ask through every match this summer.
Pakistan Test Squad for West Indies 2026
The full squad for the two-match Test series starting July 25 is confirmed as follows:
Full Squad
Player | Role |
Babar Azam (captain) | Batter |
Mohammad Rizwan | Wicket-keeper Batter |
Imam ul Haq | Opener |
Shan Masood | Batter |
Salman Ali Agha | All-rounder |
Sajid Khan | Spinner |
Khurram Shahzad | Fast Bowler |
Mohammad Abbas | Fast Bowler |
Mohammad Ali | Fast Bowler |
Aamir Jamal | Fast Bowler |
Azan Awais | Batter |
Abdullah Fazal | Batter |
Ubaid Shah | Fast Bowler (Uncapped) |
Ali Usman | Spinner (Uncapped) |
Muhammad Awais Zafar | Batter (Uncapped) |
Muhammad Ghazi Ghori | Wicket-keeper (Uncapped) |
Four uncapped players earn their maiden Test call-ups. Their inclusion suggests the selectors are using the West Indies tour to assess fresh options for the longer WTC cycle ahead.
The Bigger Picture: Pakistan’s World Test Championship Crisis
Pakistan currently sit ninth in the World Test Championship standings with just four points from four games and a win percentage of 8.3%. Pakistan Test cricket in 2026 is at a crossroads, since the top two sides qualify for the WTC Final, and Pakistan would need a near-perfect run through remaining matches just to become relevant in the standings again.
The West Indies series is followed immediately by three Tests in England in August and September, Pakistan’s first tour of England in six years. After that comes a home winter with New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Therefore, Babar Azam as Pakistan Test captain inherits a side not just struggling for results but struggling for an identity in the format. The workload ahead is significant.
What This Means for Pakistan Cricket
Returning to a captain you removed once is rarely a sign of a plan working. However, the reality facing Pakistan is that Babar Azam remains their best batter, their most recognised name, and based on the alternatives available, their most credible leader. The PCB is not pretending this is ideal. They are making a pragmatic call with series starting in weeks, not months.
For Pakistani fans, the hope is that Babar finds something in this second chance that was missing the first time. For his critics, the concern is that the same structural problems, including selection inconsistency, middle-order fragility, and an unsettled pace attack, will not disappear simply because the captain’s name changed.
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Do you think bringing Babar Azam back as Pakistan Test captain was the right call? Drop your take in the comments.
Last updated July 7, 2026 by the Chokus.pk sports desk, based on confirmed PCB announcements and reports from ESPNCricinfo and the ICC official website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Shan Masood removed as Pakistan Test captain?
Shan Masood lost 12 of his 16 Tests as captain, including a 2-0 home whitewash against Bangladesh. Aaqib Javed cited Pakistan’s repeated failure to convert winning positions as a key reason for the change.
What is Babar Azam’s Test captaincy record?
In his first stint, Babar captained Pakistan in 20 Tests, winning 10, losing 6, and drawing 4, giving him a win percentage of 50%.
When does Pakistan play West Indies in the 2026 Test series?
The two-match Test series against West Indies begins on July 25, 2026.
Is Shan Masood still in the Pakistan Test squad?
Yes. Despite losing the captaincy, Shan Masood retained his place in the squad based on his improved personal batting form during his tenure.
Why did Babar Azam leave the Test captaincy the first time?
Babar stepped down from all captaincy roles in late 2023 following Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup. The PCB later separated the formats and reappointed him in some roles before fully restoring the Test captaincy in July 2026.
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