Babar Azam Ruled Out of First Test Against England as Salman Ali Agha Takes Charge
Pakistan have suffered a major setback before the opening Test against England, with Babar Azam ruled out of the first Test against England because of a hand injury. The match begins at Headingley on Wednesday, with Salman Ali Agha set to lead Pakistan in Babar’s absence.
Babar Azam Ruled Out of First Test Against England
Babar suffered the injury during Pakistan’s warm-up match against a County Select XI last week after being hit on his right hand by England Under-19 fast bowler Manny Lumsden.
He left the field as a precaution and later underwent medical checks. Although scans confirmed that there is no fracture to his middle finger, swelling and discomfort have prevented him from being cleared for the first Test.
Babar also suffered a blow to the same hand during Pakistan’s second Test against the West Indies earlier this month.
Salman Ali Agha to Captain Pakistan
With Babar unavailable, Salman Ali Agha will take over the captaincy for the first Test.
This will put additional responsibility on Salman, who will have to lead Pakistan against an England side expected to test the visitors with pace and aggressive batting at Headingley.
Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed indicated that Babar could return for the second Test if his recovery goes according to plan.
Saud Shakeel in Line to Replace Babar
Babar’s absence creates a significant gap in Pakistan’s batting order. Saud Shakeel is reportedly in contention to replace him in the playing XI.
The left-handed batter was not part of Pakistan’s recent two-Test series in the West Indies, which ended 1-1, but his return could provide Pakistan with additional stability in the middle order.
Why Babar’s Absence Is a Big Blow
Babar remains one of Pakistan’s most important Test batters, with nine Test centuries and a career batting average above 43.
His experience would have been particularly valuable in England, where conditions can change quickly and the new ball can cause problems for visiting batsmen.
Pakistan are also aiming to win a Test series in England for the first time in three decades, making Babar’s absence even more significant.
Headingley Conditions Could Test Pakistan
The conditions at Headingley are expected to be very different from the spin-friendly pitches Pakistan played on in Multan and Rawalpindi during their previous home series against England.
England’s seamers could become a major factor, particularly with the new ball. Pakistan’s replacement batter will therefore face a difficult challenge against an experienced English attack.
Can Babar Return for the Second Test?
For Pakistan, the biggest positive is that Babar has not suffered a fracture.
His availability for the second Test will depend on how quickly the swelling and discomfort in his hand settle. Pakistan will hope that their star batter can recover in time because the three-Test series is an important challenge for the team.
For now, however, Babar Azam ruled out of first Test against England is the headline, with Salman Ali Agha facing the immediate task of leading Pakistan at Headingley.
