Babar Azam Out, Salman In: Pakistan Handed Captaincy Crisis on Eve of England Test

Babar ruled out before a ball is bowled

Pakistan's series opener against England has been thrown into chaos before it even starts, with captain Babar Azam ruled out of the first Test through injury. Multiple reports confirm the batter is unavailable for the match, forcing Pakistan into an emergency reshuffle at the top of their leadership just as Joe Root's England side arrive looking to pick up where their Bazball era left off.

Babar had already been described as a doubtful starter in the build-up, with fitness concerns hanging over him in the days before the Test. That doubt has now hardened into confirmation: Pakistan's most influential batter and their captain will not feature, a blow both to the side's batting depth and to its on-field leadership at the start of a high-profile series.

Salman steps into the void

With Babar sidelined, Pakistan have turned to Salman to lead the side in his absence. It is a significant call, thrusting a player into the captaincy under serious pressure, against an England team who will fancy their chances of exploiting any disruption in the Pakistan camp. How the touring press and Pakistan's own board react to the swap will say plenty about the stability, or lack of it, around this squad heading into a five-day contest that matters hugely for both sides' Test standing.

The timing could hardly be worse for Pakistan. Series openers against England are always heavily scrutinised, and losing your captain to injury just as predicted XIs are being finalised leaves selectors scrambling and gives England a psychological edge before a ball is even bowled.

England's Bazball reset under Root

On the other side, Joe Root has confirmed he is back in as England's Test captain and has been clear that the Bazball approach that defined England's recent Test cricket will not be torn up for this series. That sets up a fascinating contrast: an England side sticking to an aggressive, settled game plan against a Pakistan team suddenly forced to find a new leader and rethink their batting order at the top of the order.

What happens next

All eyes now turn to how Salman handles the captaincy burden and how Pakistan's batting copies without Babar in the XI. For England, the question is whether an injury-hit opponent offers the perfect platform to start the series fast under Root. Expect confirmation of the final playing XIs and further updates on Babar's recovery timeline as the Test draws closer.