Babar Azam he returned as Pakistan’s Test Captain after the Pakistan Cricket Board removed him Shan Masood from the Sunday role after a poor run of results.Masood took over from Babar at the end of 2023, but Pakistan won just four of their 16 Test matches under his leadership, losing 12.Explaining the decision, chief selector Aaqib Javed said the selectors wanted a captain who could produce better results.“We wanted to look for a captain who could lead the team in a much better way,” Javed told reporters in Lahore, as quoted by the AP news agency. “Shan’s individual performance was good, but as captain we didn’t get the desired results.”Javed said there was complete agreement in the selection committee on Babar’s appointment.“The selection committee sat and held detailed discussions. They evaluated which player could be the best captain in Test cricket. There were many discussions, but the selection committee made only one recommendation, and that was Babar Azam. That’s it,” said Aaqib.Pakistan’s Test form dropped drastically during Masood’s tenure. His first assignment ended in a 3-0 series defeat in Australia. Pakistan suffered a 2-0 home defeat in Bangladesh for the first time. The team’s only series win under Masood came against England at home, where Pakistan won 2-1. They also lost series against South Africa and West Indies and finished at the bottom of the previous World Test Championship table.Javed also said that the captain will share the responsibility for the team’s performances.“The captain has the responsibility to finish the games,” said Javed. “Some things are the responsibility of the team, some are the responsibility of the selectors, and some are the responsibility of the captain. The captain’s responsibility also includes maintaining the over-pace of the team, making DRS decisions and making the right call at the toss.Despite the team’s struggles, Masood has been scoring consistently with the bat. During his captaincy, he hit two centuries and seven half-centuries, including consecutive fifties in Melbourne against Australia.Babar’s first spell as Test Captain produced 10 wins in 20 matches. Their tenure began with a 2-0 home win in South Africa, while Pakistan also completed clean sweeps away from home against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.As captain, Babar averaged over 50 runs per innings in Test cricket. Their only home series defeat came against England, who beat Pakistan 3-0.Babar’s second stint as captain will begin with the two-Test series against West Indies later this month.Masood retained his place in Pakistan’s 16-member squad for that series. Saud Shakeel will join the team as the 17th player for the three-Test series in England after the West Indies tour, subject to fitness.The squad also includes four uncapped players: left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-arm batsman Awais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Ubaid Shah and wicketkeeper-batsman Ghazi Ghori.
