Pakistan cricket team captain, Babar Azam, has been ruled out of Pakistan’s first Test match against England which is set to begin on Wednesday at Headingley. The Pakistani captain is yet to recover from his injury and will miss the first Test match of the series. In his absence, Salman Ali Agha will be leading Pakistan’s cricket team for the first Test match. This makes Salman the first-choice captain as Pakistan prepares to take on England in the Test series.

 Azam had been unavailable for the first Test match after failing to overcome the injury in time. However, the Vice captain will fill in for the injured captain and lead Pakistan in the first Test match. Salman Ali Agha has been named Pakistan’s stand-in captain for the first Test match. With Salman taking up the captaincy role, Pakistan will face England in the first Test match of the series at Headingley. In his absence, Salman will lead Pakistan’s cricket team in the opening match of the Test series.

The Pakistan cricket team had hoped that Babar would be available to lead them against the England cricket team. However, with his injury, Pakistan will have to rely on Salman as the stand-in captain for his leadership skills to lead the team in the first Test match. Although Salman has been given the captaincy role for the first Test match, he is expected to share in the captaincy duties with the injured Babar Azam. This makes Salman the second captain of Pakistan’s cricket team. The Pakistan cricket team will face-off against England in the first Test match at Headingley on Wednesday.

“We have only one superstar, and we are constantly pulling him down”: Azhar Mahmood on Babar Azam amidst criticism 

Former Pakistan all-rounder and coach Azhar Mahmood has defended Test captain Babar Azam against criticism from former Pakistan cricketers and social media pundits. Speaking on Sky Sports with former England cricketers Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain, Mahmood said Babar had been affected by the criticism he faced during his time away from the national team. “He (Babar Azam) is very shy and has been through a lot. I spent a lot of time with him – around five months – when he was out of the team after the England series,” Mahmood said. He added, “He was really down because of the way he was being treated in Pakistan by former players and social media pundits. We (Pakistan) have only one superstar, and we are constantly pulling him down.” Azam had been dropped after Pakistan’s Test against England in Multan in October 2024.

Mahmood also acknowledged that Babar has areas of his game that need improvement but backed the batter to overcome his current struggles. “Yes, he has certain things to improve, but everyone does. I think he has matured now. When he is captain, he feels that he has more power and confidence, and he knows that he has to lead from the front,” he said. Mahmood further explained Azam’s difference when he was leading the side, saying, “So, when he is captain, you can see those qualities coming out in him. If he is not the captain and nobody gives him the respect he deserves, sometimes he goes into his shell.” Babar entered the England series under pressure after a prolonged run without a Test century.