Babar Azam’s injury rules him out of the opening Test, with Salman Agha set to captain Pakistan at Headingley
Pakistan and England are set to begin their three-match Test series on Wednesday, 19 August, with the opening encounter scheduled at Headingley in Leeds. The series will continue at Lord’s from 27 August before concluding at Edgbaston in Birmingham from 9 September.
Pakistan will enter the first Test without star batter Babar Azam, who suffered a hand injury after being struck by a delivery during the team’s three-day warm-up game. In his absence, Salman Agha will take charge of the side and become the 36th player to captain Pakistan in Test cricket.
Salman has established himself as an important member of Pakistan’s red-ball setup since making his Test debut in July 2022. The all-rounder has featured in 27 Tests, along with 53 ODIs and 52 T20Is. He has previously led Pakistan in two ODIs and 50 T20Is, giving him considerable leadership experience ahead of the Leeds assignment.
Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed expressed confidence in Salman’s ability to handle the responsibility, while also hoping Babar will recover in time for the second Test. The team management believes the additional leadership role could further boost Salman’s confidence.
The visitors have enjoyed a productive build-up to the series. After drawing level with an eight-wicket victory over West Indies in Port of Spain on 5 August, Pakistan travelled to England and continued preparations at the Kent County Ground in Beckenham.
Pakistan then defeated the Professional County Cricketers Select XI by seven wickets in a three-day practice match. Saud Shakeel played a crucial role by scoring an unbeaten century during the successful 262-run chase. Abdullah Shafique will also be expected to carry his strong batting form into the Test series.
Pakistan recently defeated England 2-1 in their home Test series, while England won their previous home series in 2020 and Pakistan tour in 2022. Overall, Pakistan have won 23 of 92 Tests against England, with 39 matches ending in draws.
The first Test in Leeds will begin at 3pm Pakistan Standard Time on 19 August, with the second Test at Lord’s from 27-31 August and the final match at Edgbaston from 9-13 September.