Pakistan turn back to Babar Azam as Test captain again: A second chance to rebuild after the Shan Masood era

Pakistan turn back to Babar Azam as Test captain again: A second chance to rebuild after the Shan Masood era originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Babar Azam has been reappointed Pakistan's Test captain for a second time, replacing Shan Masood.
• Masood lost 12 of his 16 Tests as captain, an unprecedented record in the format.
• Babar inherits a struggling side before tough tours of the West Indies and England.

Pakistan turn back to Babar Azam as Test captain again

Pakistan's persistent search for stability in their struggling Test side has produced yet another dramatic twist. In a move reflecting both desperation and a lack of alternatives, the Pakistan Cricket Board has turned back to a familiar face to arrest their alarming decline in the format.

Babar Azam has been reappointed as Test captain for a second time, replacing the axed Shan Masood ahead of the West Indies series. It marks a full-circle moment, given Babar himself relinquished the role in November 2023 following Pakistan's dismal 2023 ODI World Cup campaign.

Now, he inherits a team in crisis and a golden chance at redemption. The 31-year-old must somehow revive a side that has lost its last seven Test matches, immediately ahead of two of the toughest assignments in the sport, in the West Indies and England.

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Why Masood was axed and Babar returned

Shan Masood's tenure ends as one of the bleakest in Pakistan's history. Appointed nearly three years ago, he led the side in 16 Tests and lost a staggering 12 of them, becoming the first captain in Test history to lose 12 of his opening 16 matches.

His reign began with a 3-0 defeat in Australia and a historic 2-0 home loss to Bangladesh and ended with a seven-match losing streak. Pakistan finished bottom of the last World Test Championship cycle, with a lone 2-1 series win over England the only bright spot. By contrast, Babar's first stint as Test skipper was comparatively successful.

Between 2020 and 2023, he won 10 of his 20 Tests, losing just six, while averaging above 50 with the bat and securing series victories over South Africa, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. That record was not without blemish, however.

His captaincy also oversaw Pakistan's first-ever home Test series whitewash, a 3-0 loss to England in 2022, while his own recent batting form has slumped alarmingly to an average of just 27. Despite once being counted among Test cricket's best batsmen of his generation, Babar has been underwhelming over the past few years.

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What to expect: The daunting challenges awaiting Babar

However, he has the chance to change all of that. A two-match series against the West Indies in the Caribbean, followed by another away series in England, offers the Pakistani stalwart everything he needs to change his slump. Babar faces a brutal baptism in his second coming. The Windies are in top form, with the side demolishing Sri Lanka in the first two Tests.

The second Test saw West Indies completely defeat Sri Lanka by an innings and 217 runs. This tour is immediately followed by a three-match series in England, Pakistan's first there in six years, before a demanding home winter against New Zealand and Sri Lanka awaits the beleaguered side.

History offers a stark warning against optimism. Babar's previous reappointment as white-ball captain ended in the disaster of a 2024 T20 World Cup group-stage exit, and he must now rediscover his own batting touch while lifting a broken side, or this second chance could quickly unravel too.