Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has removed Shan Masood as Test captain and reappointed Babar Azam to lead the side ahead of this month's two-match Test series against the West Indies. The decision marks Babar's second stint as Pakistan's red-ball skipper after Masood oversaw one of the team's poorest runs in Test cricket.
The PCB announced the leadership change while naming Pakistan's squad for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. Masood's dismissal brings an end to a disappointing tenure in which Pakistan won just three of 16 Tests, losing 12, the worst record by any captain in his first 16 Test matches.
Among Pakistan's Test captains, only Misbah-ul-Haq has suffered more defeats overall, losing 19 matches in 56 Tests. During Masood's tenure, Pakistan also equalled its longest losing streak in Test history with seven consecutive defeats.
Masood's captaincy began with a 3-0 whitewash against Australia away from home, and Pakistan struggled to recover from that setback. They later suffered a historic 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh-their first-ever Test series loss to the Tigers.
The only major success under Masood came with a comeback series victory over England later that year. However, it remained the team's only series win in seven attempts, with Pakistan losing four of the other series and finishing at the bottom of the 2023-25 World Test Championship standings.
Despite the team's poor results, Masood retained his place in the side due to improved individual performances. Since becoming captain, he averaged 34.06 with the bat, up from 28.51 before taking over. He scored two Test centuries, including one in South Africa, and seven half-centuries, with two fifties coming in the same match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Masood had originally succeeded Babar Azam as Test captain in 2023. Now, the PCB has turned back to its former skipper, a move that reflects the lack of a convincing alternative despite Babar's recent struggles across formats. Since relinquishing the captaincy, Babar has endured a prolonged lean patch, averaging just over 27 in Tests under Masood's leadership.
However, Babar's previous record as Test captain remains impressive. He guided Pakistan to 10 victories in 20 Tests, beginning with a 2-0 home series win over South Africa. His tenure also included dominant series sweeps against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while he maintained a batting average above 50 as captain.
His first spell was not without setbacks, most notably Pakistan's historic 3-0 home whitewash against England,the country's first-ever clean sweep at home in a Test series.
Babar now returns to the role at a demanding stage of Pakistan's calendar. Following the West Indies series, Pakistan will tour England for a three-Test series their first Test assignment there in six years before hosting New Zealand and Sri Lanka during a busy home season.
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