On the eve of the first Test match against England, Pakistan suffered a devastating blow as captain Babar Azam was sidelined due to an injury. The right-hander, who had just made it into the ICC’s top ten Test batsmen, was unable to bounce back in time.
On August 18, 2026, the Pakistan team management announced that Babar had been hit on his right hand during the tour warm-up match in Beckenham. The same hand he had hurt in the second Test match against the West Indies earlier in August was made worse by that blow, and the cumulative injury was deemed severe enough to keep him out of the series opener.
Pakistan would be without their reinstated Test captain for the opening game of the England tour due to Babar’s absence at Headingley. Babar had taken over as Test captain from Shan Masood at the beginning of the West Indies series. On August 18, the day before the Test was scheduled to start, the management of the Pakistani squad verified the development. Salman Ali Agha will now lead Pakistan in the first Test of the three-match series, which begins on Wednesday, August 19, at Headingley, Leeds, in Babar’s absence.
The initial injury to Babar’s right hand occurred in August 2026 during the second Test match against the West Indies. When Pakistan arrived in England for their tour, he had not yet entirely recovered from that setback, and the Beckenham warm-up match had a new effect on the same hand. Following evaluation, the management of the Pakistan squad concluded that Babar’s injury was too serious for him to play at Headingley.
On August 18, 2026, the day before the Test was supposed to begin, the formal confirmation was made. The data that is currently available does not give a schedule for his return to the team, and it is still unclear whether he will be ready for the final England series games.
Sarfaraz Ahmed, the coach of Pakistan, told reporters on Tuesday, “Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first Test match. Salman Agha will be the captain for the first Test.”
