Lahore, July 5 (IANS) Pakistan have handed Babar Azam the Test captaincy once again while announcing their squads for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, marking the former skipper’s return to leadership after he stepped away from the role in 2023.

The Pakistan Men’s National Selection Committee unveiled the squads during a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday. Babar will lead the side in both the two-Test series against the West Indies, scheduled from July 25 to August 6, and the three-Test series in England, scheduled for August 19 to September 13.

A 16-member squad has been named for the West Indies tour, while a 17-member group has been picked for the England series. Saud Shakeel has been included in the England squad, subject to fitness.

The selectors have also rewarded four uncapped players with call-ups. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-handed batter Muhammad Awais Zafar, right-arm pacer Ubaid Shah, and wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori have all been named in the squads as Pakistan look to inject fresh talent into the Test setup.

Babar’s appointment marks a significant turnaround in Pakistan’s leadership timeline. The 31-year-old had resigned as captain across all formats in November 2023 following Pakistan’s group-stage exit from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

Although he returned as Pakistan’s ODI and T20I captain in March 2024, that stint proved short-lived. Babar stepped down from the white-ball captaincy again in October 2024, ending his second spell in charge after just six months.

His latest appointment now sees him return to the helm of the Test side as Pakistan prepare for two challenging overseas assignments against the West Indies and England.

Squad for West Indies tour: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah

Squad for England tour: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah

Schedule for West Indies series:

July 25-29 – 1st Test, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba

August 2-6 – 2nd Test, Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Port of Spain

Schedule for England series:

August 19-23 – 1st Test, Leeds

August 27-31 – 2nd Test, Lord’s

September 9-13 – 3rd Test, Birmingham

–IANS

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