Babar Azam reportedly set conditions for Pakistan Test captaincy return

Pakistan veteran Babar Azam reportedly set a condition before agreeing to take over as the team’s Test captain, insisting that he should eventually be given leadership responsibilities across all three formats.

According to a report by Telecom Asia Sport, Babar accepted the Test captaincy only after being assured that he could become Pakistan’s all-format captain if the team produced strong results in the upcoming five-Test assignments against the West Indies and England.

Two selectors reportedly met Babar before the announcement of his appointment on July 5, with sources claiming that the selectors had limited options for the Test captaincy after Shan Masood’s disappointing run in red-ball cricket.

“Two selectors met Babar before the announcement of the Test captain on July 5 as they had no option other than Babar for red-ball captaincy and Babar accepted the role on condition of getting the captaincy in the other two formats as well,” sources told Telecom Asia Sport.

“Babar had always wanted to be sole captain of Pakistan in all three formats, and when he put that condition, the selectors told him that if the team does well in the West Indies and England over five Tests, then he will get the all-format captaincy,” they added.

Babar previously stepped down as Pakistan’s all-format captain in November 2023 after the team’s disappointing campaign at the ODI World Cup in India. He was subsequently replaced by Shan Masood as Test captain, while Shaheen Shah Afridi took charge of the T20I side.

Shaheen is currently Pakistan’s ODI captain, but his own leadership stint has also been turbulent. He was removed as T20I captain after just one series in charge in 2024 following Pakistan’s early defeat to New Zealand.

Sources also claimed that Babar’s decision to step down from the captaincy in 2023 was influenced by his reluctance to lead in just one format.

“When Babar stepped down from the all-format captaincy in November 2023, it was because he did not want to be captain of just the Test side. He was offered to lead in one format, but he declined,” the sources said.

Babar, meanwhile, has said he is confident about his return to the leadership role and is determined to learn from his previous experience.

“There isn’t that kind of pressure. I am confident, and I am very confident about the responsibility I have been given once again. The most important thing for me is that the performances we expect from the players help Pakistan win matches. That’s what matters the most. From my previous experience as captain, I have learned a lot, and I will try to do an even better job this time. God willing, we will make even better decisions that are in the best interest of Pakistan,” Babar said.

The developments come as Pakistan make a strong start to their first Test against the West Indies. Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad shared five wickets on Monday to leave the hosts struggling at 126/7 at stumps on Day 3 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The West Indies held a lead of 155 runs at the close of play, with Shamar Joseph unbeaten on 22 and Kemar Roach on five.