Babar Azam appointed Pakistan Test captain for West Indies, England tours

LAHORE: Pakistan on Sunday appointed Babar Azam as captain of the national Test team for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England.

At a press conference in Lahore, Director High Performance Aaqib Javed and former captain Misbah-ul-Haq announced the touring squad, with Babar returning to lead the side in red-ball cricket.

The squad includes a mix of experienced campaigners and emerging players, with Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Abbas, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Shan Masood among the senior members.

All-rounder Aamer Jamal and fast bowlers Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali, Ali Usman and Ubaid Shah have also been included in the touring party.

Youngsters Abdullah Fazal, Azan Awais and Mohammad Owais Zafar retained their places, while Mohammad Ghazi Ghori joins Mohammad Rizwan as the second specialist wicketkeeper.

Pakistan’s Test squad for the tours of the West Indies and England comprises: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Owais Zafar, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

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Aaqib Javed said the selected squad strikes a balance between experience and youth as Pakistan aims to improve its performances in overseas Test cricket.