Babar Azam unavailable for first England vs Pakistan Test at Headingley

Pakistan captain Babar Azam will not play in the opening Test against England at Headingley in Leeds on August 19, the first match of the three-Test series. Pakistan confirmed his absence on the eve of the game.

The series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 and both sides sit in the lower half of the WTC table, making qualification for the final difficult; they need wins in this series to remain in contention. Joe Root begins his second stint as England’s full-time Test captain after Ben Stokes’ retirement, and England arrive with interim coaching arrangements following the dismissal of Brendon McCullum and the ECB’s appointment of Stephen Fleming, who will not be available; Marcus Trescothick will serve as interim coach for the series.

Pakistan arrived in England after drawing a Test series in the West Indies, where the Pakistan Cricket Board had reappointed Babar Azam as Test captain ahead of that tour. Babar finished that West Indies series as Pakistan’s top run-scorer, compiling 193 runs in four innings at an average of 96.50, and helped the side avoid a series defeat.

Babar sustained a blow to his right hand while batting in the first innings of the warm-up match against County Cricket XI, was in pain and was forced to retire hurt, and did not take any further part in that fixture. He later practiced in the nets on Monday, but the PCB confirmed his unavailability for the first Test on Tuesday.

“Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first Test match,” head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed on the eve of the Test match. “Salman Agha will be the captain for the first Test.” Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in the first Test in Leeds, a role that will be his debut as a Test captain.

Pakistan are searching for their first Test win in England since 2018 and have not won a Test series in England since 1996, historical facts the touring side will be mindful of as the series opens. The Headingley match on August 19 is the first of three Tests in the series that both teams must try to win to maintain any realistic chance of qualifying for the WTC final.