Pakistan Test Captain: Babar Azam’s Return to Red-Ball Leadership
In July 2026, Babar Azam became Pakistan’s Test captain for the second time, succeeding Shan Masood. It is a fascinating appointment: Pakistan’s greatest modern batter, back in charge of the red-ball side after leading it from 2020 to 2023. This guide covers the return, what Masood left behind, and the challenges Babar inherits.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s Test captain is Babar Azam (since July 2026). He succeeded Shan Masood, who led the Test side from December 2023 to July 2026. Babar previously captained Pakistan in Tests from 2020 to 2023, and his return comes as Pakistan rebuild red-ball cricket — his first series in charge included the September 2026 tour of England.
In this guide
The return
Babar first took the Test captaincy in 2020 and held it until the post-2023-World Cup reset, when Shan Masood was handed the red-ball side. Two and a half years later, the PCB turned back to its premier batter. The logic is straightforward: in a young, transitioning Test side, the captaincy carries more weight when it sits with the player the whole dressing room looks up to. Babar’s reappointment in July 2026 made him one of the few Pakistan captains to hold the Test leadership in two separate stints.
What Masood’s era left behind
Shan Masood’s tenure (December 2023–July 2026) was the declared “red-ball rebuild”: blooding young batters like Saim Ayub and giving chances to emerging bowlers. Results were mixed — competitive at home, tough away — but the squad Babar inherits is younger and deeper than the one he left in 2023. Masood’s full story is told in our Shan Masood Test captaincy guide.
Babar’s captaincy record
Across his first stint, Babar was a steady rather than spectacular Test captain — solid home results, the occasional landmark away win, and the famous 2022 home series against Australia that reignited Test cricket’s popularity in Pakistan. His personal batting never suffered under the burden the way some feared; he remains Pakistan’s most reliable red-ball run-maker. The benchmark he chases is Misbah-ul-Haq’s: 26 Test wins, the most by any Pakistan captain, and the 2016 rise to No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings.
The challenges ahead
Babar’s second stint begins with a clear to-do list: make Pakistan hard to beat at home again, find a settled opening combination, and manage a pace attack in transition. His first assignment — the September 2026 tour of England, which ended in an 8-wicket defeat at Edgbaston — showed the scale of the task. The home season is where his captaincy will be judged. For the ODI and T20I leadership picture, see Pakistan’s 2026 captains.
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Pakistan Test captain: FAQs
Who is the Pakistan Test captain?
Babar Azam — Test captain since July 2026, in his second stint after leading the side from 2020 to 2023.
Who was Test captain before Babar Azam?
Shan Masood, who led Pakistan’s Tests from December 2023 to July 2026.
How many Tests has Babar Azam captained?
Babar captained Pakistan in Tests through 2020–2023 and returned in July 2026; his combined tenure spans both stints, with the second now underway.
Who is Pakistan’s most successful Test captain?
Misbah-ul-Haq — 26 Test wins, the most by any Pakistan captain, including the rise to No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings in 2016.
