The Pakistan selectors have reinstated Babar Azam as Test captain for the upcoming West Indies and England tours. So, in another round of 'musical chairs' for the captaincy, they have gone back to Babar, rather than preparing for the future.
Over the last few years, Pakistan's Test captaincy has undergone frequent changes on account of poor results, change of power within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and unstable selection policy. Look at the timeline:
2019–2020: Azhar Ali, captain of 8 Tests, stepped down following disappointing results abroad. He scored 338 runs @ 24.14, registering a significant fall in performance as, prior to the captaincy, he was scoring @ 43.
2020–2023: Babar Azam, captain in 20 Tests, sacked amidst changes following the 2023 World Cup, although he won 10 Tests and scored 1,513 runs @ 43.23 (including 5 centuries) during his tenure. However, he did not match his pre-captaincy record.
2023–2026: Shan Masood, captain in 16 Tests, was sacked as he won only 4 Tests and lost 12. He scored 915 runs @ 33, improving in comparison to his pre-captaincy career average of 28, but somehow the team struggled under him. He was made captain at a time when his place in the team was not secure.
2026: Babar Azam begins his second stint as Test captain.
This means Pakistan have played under four regular Test captains in roughly six years, sharply in contrast to any other major Test-playing nation. Now Babar's return as Test captain stems from a lack of alternatives and a loss of faith in Shan Masood. For many, Shan Masood remaining captain for 963 days is no mean achievement.
The biggest issue is that the captains had no control over the team and Pakistan never looked like a top-class Test side. Incidentally, captains were changed even more rapidly in white-ball cricket. Pakistan failed to support captains, to 'build' the team.
In an interview with Salman Butt on the 'Straight Drive' show, Babar expressed confidence that he would lead with a better strategy and a positive mindset this time around, stating, ‘My focus will be on three areas: discipline, fitness, and performance. We have prepared for the conditions—pitches and weather—expected in the West Indies and England, and the players' experience in county cricket will prove valuable.’ However, the greatest scrutiny will be on his captaincy; if he wants to last, he must rewrite history.
The chopping and the changes in leadership in Pakistan cricket in recent years have played a big role in Pakistan losing its grip on world cricket. Let us start with Babar Azam:
October 2019: Babar Azam named T20I captain, succeeding Sarfaraz Ahmed.
May 2020: Babar Azam becomes white ball cricket captain, taking over from Sarfaraz Ahmed.
January 2021: Babar Azam became all-format captain and started with a home Test series win (vs South Africa in 2021 by 2-0). This started the Babar Azam era in Pakistan cricket.
November 2023: Babar Azam resigned as all-format captain after Pakistan’s exit in the group stage in the ICC World Cup. Shan Masood was named new Test captain and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20I captain (he had impressed with his title wins for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL). Babar was offered to continue as Test captain, but he wished to concentrate on his batting and declined.
March 2024: Lost patience with Shaheen Afridi after just one series (which Pakistan lost to New Zealand by 4-1), although the T20 World Cup was approaching. This marked the return of Babar and he was reappointed white-ball captain. This didn’t help Pakistan, and they got eliminated in the group stage.
October 2024: This disaster was enough for Babar to step down as white-ball captain (for the second time), again with the desire to focus on his batting.
November 2024: Mohammad Rizwan succeeded Babar as white-ball captain.
March 2025: Salman Ali Agha replaced Rizwan as T20I captain. Babar even lost his place in the squad. Both Rizwan and Babar were blamed for their slow strike rates causing Pakistan’s poor performance. Surprisingly, the new captain Salman was no better batsman.
June 2026: Another cycle of resignations, removals and returns completed with the re-appointment of Babar Azam as Test captain.