Pakistan batter Babar Azam is likely to be appointed as the captain of the national Test team once again, according to media reports today.
Reports said that the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee is expected to announce the squad for the upcoming tour of the West Indies during a press conference in Lahore on Friday. An important decision on the Test captaincy may also be announced.
According to the reports, the PCB is considering giving the Test captaincy back to Babar Azam. The squad for the England tour will be announced at a later date.
Pakistan will play a two-match Test series against the West Indies before travelling to England for a three-match Test series.
At present, Shan Masood is the captain of the Test team. However, Pakistan lost the Test series at home and in Dhaka against Bangladesh under his leadership.
Speculation about Babar Azam’s possible return as Test captain has also been growing on social media since Thursday. However, the final decision will be confirmed when the selection committee announces the squad.
Babar Azam records highest ODI average
Babar Azam has recently achieved another milestone in One Day International (ODI) cricket after recording the highest batting average against Australia. This was among players who have scored at least 500 ODI runs against the team.
The 31-year-old reached the record after playing an important role in Pakistan’s win over Australia in the first ODI. He scored a steady half century and also helped guide the team during the innings.
Babar has now scored 755 runs in 14 ODIs against Australia at an average of 68.63. This was the highest among players with at least 500 ODI runs against the six-time world champions.
Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers is second on the list with 1,250 runs in 26 ODIs at an average of 59.52.
