Pakistan dealt body blow as Babar Azam ruled out of opening Test against England; Salman Ali Agha to lead

Pakistan were dealt a body blow on the eve of the opening Test against England as skipper Babar Azam was ruled out due to an injury. The right-handed batter, who recently entered ICC's top ten Test batters, was unable to recover in time. The 31-year-old was struck on his right hand earlier during Pakistan's warm-up game in Beckenham. It was the same hand that he had previously sustained a blow during the second Test against the West Indies earlier this month.

In Babar's absence, Pakistan will now be led by Salman Ali Agha in the opening Test of the three-match series, which gets underway on Wednesday, August 19, in Headingley, Leeds.

“Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first Test match. Salman Agha will be the captain for the first Test,” Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed told reporters on Tuesday.

Also Read: No concrete update on Babar Azam: The Pakistan leader is improving but can still miss the first Test against England

Babar was struck on the right hand while batting during the second day of the three-day practice match at Kent County Cricket Club. He was then assessed by the team doctor and advised to rest for the remainder of the practice match. The Pakistan captain did participate in a practice session on August 17, but it lasted only a few minutes.

His non-participation in the opening Test would be a huge blow for Pakistan as the batter was in solid form in the recent two-match series against the West Indies, where he was adjudged as Player of the Series. The performance also helped Babar enter the top ten in the Test rankings despite his century drought lasting more than three years.

Babar's absence will now force Pakistan into a reshuffle of their middle order, with Saud Shakeel and Awais Zafar both in line to feature in the playing XI. Shakeel had missed Pakistan's recent Test series against the West Indies, while Zafar made his international debut during the second match of that series.

However, Shakeel strengthened his case for selection with a century in Pakistan's warm-up fixture ahead of the upcoming assignment. Shakeel was already expected to return to the side, but Babar's unavailability could now create an opportunity for both batters to be included.

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

Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE.