Pakistan suffer a major setback ahead of the first Test against England as newly reappointed captain Babar Azam is ruled out with a finger injury. Babar injures the middle finger of his right hand while batting against the West Indies and aggravates it during a warm-up game in Beckenham.“Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first test match,” Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said. “Salman Agha will be the captain for the first test.”

Babar ruled out, Agha takes charge

Ahmed confirms that Babar’s finger is not broken but says the team hopes the pain settles in time for the second Test at Lord’s, starting August 27. Babar’s absence is a significant blow after he recently returned as captain and was Pakistan’s leading run-scorer against the West Indies.Agha is set to captain Pakistan in a Test for the first time, having already led the team in T20 cricket. Shan Masood, who was replaced by Babar as captain, also returns after recovering from a broken finger.“Our practice match gave us a lot of confidence,” Ahmed said. “Whatever bases we needed to cover with bat and ball, we did. We believe we’ll do very well here.”

England also enter new era

England, meanwhile, begin the series under a changed leadership setup. Joe Root returns as captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement, while Brendon McCullum has also left the coaching role. Marcus Trescothick takes interim charge as new coach Stephen Fleming misses the series.Root, who previously led England from 2017 to 2022, says his experience has prepared him for another stint as captain.“I feel as ready as any other England captain that’s ever been before,” Root said. “To have that amount of experience is invaluable.”Harry Brook remains vice-captain, with Root confident of his support.“I fully feel he’s got my back like the rest of the guys do,” Root said.