Pakistan cricket has entered another significant leadership transition, with Shan Masood removed as Test captain and Babar Azam appointed to lead the national side for a second time. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the decision while unveiling the squad for the two-match Test series against the West Indies later this month, signalling a renewed belief in a captain who previously guided the team through one of its more successful recent periods in the longest format.
Masood’s tenure comes to an end after a difficult spell dominated by disappointing results. Appointed almost three years ago, he captained Pakistan in 16 Test matches, winning only four and losing 12. Those figures left him with the unwanted distinction of becoming the first captain in Test history to lose 12 of his opening 16 matches in charge.
Pakistan’s struggles under his leadership extended beyond individual records. The team equalled its longest losing streak in Test cricket by suffering seven consecutive defeats, highlighting a prolonged period of inconsistency. Among the 10 Pakistan captains who have led the side in more Test matches than Masood, only Misbah-ul-Haq recorded more defeats, losing 19 Tests across a much longer tenure of 56 matches. Masood’s comparatively high defeat rate inevitably intensified scrutiny over his leadership.
His captaincy began in challenging circumstances with a 3-0 whitewash in Australia. Any hopes of an immediate recovery were quickly dashed when Pakistan suffered a historic 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh, marking the first time Bangladesh had beaten Pakistan in a Test series. The result triggered widespread debate about the direction of Pakistan’s red-ball cricket and raised fresh concerns over the team’s competitiveness against emerging Test nations.
The period was not entirely devoid of success. Pakistan produced an impressive comeback to defeat England in one Test series under Masood’s captaincy, providing the only series triumph during his seven assignments as captain. However, defeats in four other series outweighed that achievement, and Pakistan eventually finished near the bottom of the 2023–25 World Test Championship standings after a campaign marked by inconsistency and missed opportunities.
Although team results remained disappointing, Masood’s personal performances with the bat showed encouraging progress. Since taking over the captaincy, he averaged 34.06 in Test cricket, a noticeable improvement from his pre-captaincy average of 28.51. During that period, he scored two centuries and seven half-centuries. One of those hundreds came in South Africa, while he also demonstrated remarkable resilience by registering half-centuries in both innings of a Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Against this backdrop, the PCB has turned once again to Babar Azam, despite the former captain enduring an unusually lean spell since relinquishing the role in 2023. Across all three formats, Babar has struggled to maintain the consistency that once made him one of the world’s leading batters. During Masood’s captaincy, his Test batting average fell to just over 27, well below the standards he had established earlier in his career.
Even so, selectors and cricket observers believe Babar’s leadership experience and previous achievements made him the strongest candidate to rebuild the side. His first stint as Test captain produced encouraging results. Pakistan won 10 of the 20 Tests he led, beginning with a commanding 2-0 home series victory over South Africa. The team also secured series wins against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, including comprehensive clean sweeps that reinforced Pakistan’s growing strength during that period.
Babar also flourished personally while leading the side. As Test captain, he averaged above 50 with the bat, combining consistent run-scoring with effective leadership. His ability to balance individual excellence with team success was widely regarded as one of the defining features of his first tenure.
Nevertheless, his initial spell in charge was not without setbacks. The most damaging came when England completed a 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan, marking the first occasion in the nation’s Test history that the home side had suffered such a series defeat on its own soil. The result intensified criticism and ultimately contributed to his decision to step down from the captaincy.
Babar’s second tenure will begin with a demanding international schedule. Pakistan first face the West Indies in a two-match Test series before travelling to England for a three-match series, their first Test tour there in six years. They will then return home for important series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Those fixtures present an immediate opportunity to rebuild confidence, improve Pakistan’s standing in the World Test Championship and restore the team’s reputation in Test cricket.
Whether Babar can reproduce the success of his first spell remains to be seen. What is certain is that Pakistan have once again entrusted one of their most accomplished cricketers with the responsibility of steering the Test side through a challenging period, hoping that his experience and leadership can inspire a sustained revival.