Salman Agha Named Pakistan Captain as Babar Azam Suffers Injury

Salman Agha will lead Pakistan in the first Test against England at Headingley after regular captain Babar Azam was ruled out due to a hand injury.

Babar Azam suffered a hand injury during a warm-up match in Beckenham, forcing him out of the opening match of the three-Test series. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed the injury, expressing hope that Babar will recover in time for the second Test at Lord’s.

In Babar’s absence, all rounder Salman Agha has been appointed captain for the World Test Championship (WTC) series opener. Sarfaraz Ahmed expressed full confidence in Salman’s leadership abilities, noting that the team is well prepared after winning their warm-up game.

World Test Championship Context

Both teams enter the series looking to improve their standing in the ICC World Test Championship cycle:

• Pakistan: Currently sit 8th in the WTC standings with a 22.22 percentage points (PCT) after winning two and losing four of their six matches. They recently drew a two-match series 1-1 against the West Indies.
• England: Sit 7th in the WTC standings, having won four out of 13 matches in this cycle. They enter the series following a 2-1 home series defeat against New Zealand.

Pakistan Test Squad and Series Schedule

Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah.

Match Schedule:

• 1st Test: August 19–23 at Headingley, Leeds
• 2nd Test: August 27–31 at Lord’s, London
• 3rd Test: September 9–13 at Edgbaston, Birmingham