Babar Azam reinstated as Pakistan's Test captain: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Babar Azam has been named the new captain of Pakistan's Test cricket team, taking over from Shan Masood. The decision was announced as part of the squad selection for an upcoming two-match Test series against West Indies later this month. This will be Babar's second stint as Test captain, having previously led the team in 20 matches until 2023.
Captaincy record
Masood's dismal record as Test captain
Masood's tenure as Test captain was marred by a series of defeats. He led Pakistan in 16 Tests, losing 12 of them. This is the worst start for any captain in Test history, with no one losing 12 of their first 16 Tests before. Under his leadership, Pakistan also lost their last seven Tests, tying the record for most consecutive losses in the country's history.
Director's insight
Aqib Javed explains reasons behind the decision
Aqib Javed, Pakistan's high-performance director, revealed that the repetitive nature of defeats and throwing away winning positions were key factors in their decision to change the captaincy. He said Masood's performance was good but as a captain, he couldn't deliver the desired results. "We wanted to look for a captain who comes in and leads the team better," said Javed.
Captaincy challenges
Highlights and lowlights of Masood's captaincy
Masood's captaincy journey began with a 3-0 whitewash in Australia, Pakistan's biggest challenge. They also lost 2-0 at home to Bangladesh for the first time. The only high point of his tenure was a come-from-behind win over England later that year. Under his leadership, Pakistan lost four out of seven series and finished last on the World Test Championship 2023-25 table.
Player performance
Personal gains for Masood during his captaincy
Despite the losses, Masood's personal form with the bat improved during his captaincy. His average as captain rose to 34.06, nearly six runs higher than before his appointment. He scored two centuries and seven half-centuries during this period. Meanwhile, Babar's return as captain might be due to a lack of other attractive candidates available for PCB.
Future prospects
Babar's previous Test captaincy and immediate challenges ahead
Babar led Pakistan in 20 Tests until 2023, winning 10 of them. His captaincy included a home series win over South Africa and away clean sweeps in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, he also faced disappointment with a historic 3-0 whitewash at the hands of England. As Babar takes over again, he faces immediate challenges including the West Indies series followed by another against England - Pakistan's first in six years.
Stats
1,727 runs while leading in the format
Babar smoked 1,727 runs while leading the team at a brilliant average of 50.79. The tally includes four tons and 11 fifties. His tally of 1,184 runs in nine Tests in 2022 is the most by a Pakistan skipper in a calendar year. His average read 69.64 in 2022. Coming to his overall Test stats, Babar has smashed 4,481 runs from 62 matches at an average of 42.67. While he owns 31 fifties, the last of Babar's nine Test tons came in December 2022.