Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been ruled out of the first Test against England at Headingley due to a right-hand injury. Salman Agha will take charge of the side in Babar’s absence.
“Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first Test match. Salman Agha will be the captain for the first Test,” head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed on the eve of the match.
Babar suffered the injury to his right hand during Pakistan’s three-day warm-up game against Professional County Club Select XI in Beckenham. He was already recovering from an impact injury to the same hand, which he picked up during the second Test against the West Indies.
Pakistan had initially indicated that a decision on Babar’s availability would be taken on the morning of the Leeds Test. However, the team management confirmed his absence a day before the match.
Babar did return to batting during Monday’s training session after the PCB medical team had advised him to rest for the remainder of the practice game.
Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas had earlier said, “He did a few throwdowns and some batting practice today. But we’ll have to follow medical advice for it.”
The first Test will also mark a new milestone for Salman Agha, who has previously captained Pakistan in T20Is and ODIs but is yet to lead the national team in Test cricket.
