Aaqib Javed reveals why Babar Azam replaced Shan Masood as Test captain

LAHORE: Pakistan's director of high performance, Aaqib Javed, has defended the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to reinstate Babar Azam as the national Test captain, saying the move was prompted by recurring leadership and game-management issues rather than individual performances.

Speaking during a recent podcast alongside former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, Javed said the board believes Babar is the right candidate to provide long-term stability as Pakistan prepare for challenging Test tours of the West Indies and England.

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, the former Pakistan pacer said the team's inability to dismiss opposition tailenders across different conditions highlighted deeper leadership concerns.

"We have brought Babar Azam back because the same problems kept recurring. Whether it was in Australia, South Africa, the West Indies or, most recently, Bangladesh, the opposition's tailenders continued to frustrate us. The conditions and bowlers changed, but the outcome remained the same and that pointed towards issues in leadership and game management," Javed said.

The 53-year-old also outlined the management's long-term vision, expressing confidence in Babar's leadership abilities and revealing that the PCB intends to back him for the next two to three years.

"I believe Babar is mature enough to lead the team again. He is one of our key players and our plan is to give him a two to three-year run as captain. Every captain brings a fresh mindset and we expect him to inspire the team through his own performances," he stated.

The remarks came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed Babar's return as Pakistan's Test captain for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England.

The 31-year-old, who previously captained Pakistan in 20 Tests between 2020 and 2023, replaces Shan Masood, whose 16-match tenure yielded four victories and 12 defeats, giving him a 25 per cent win rate.

Masood's spell as captain began with a 3-0 series defeat in Australia and ended following a disappointing 2-0 whitewash loss to Bangladesh in May this year. His only series triumph came in a 2-1 home victory over England in 2024.

Pakistan are scheduled to depart for the West Indies on 13 July, where they will play a four-day warm-up match from 18 July before the two-Test series in Trinidad and Tobago from 25 to 29 July and from 2 to 6 August.

Following the Caribbean tour, Pakistan will travel to England for a three-match Test series. The opening Test will be played at Headingley in Leeds from 19 to 23 August, followed by the second at Lord's from 27 to 31 August.

The series will conclude with the third and final Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham from 9 to 13 September.