Shafique's Rise, Babar's Return: Pakistan Name Their Squad for the England Tests
Published on August 6, 2026
Summary Overview: Pakistan have named a 17-player squad for the England Test series, with Babar Azam captaining, Abdullah Shafique in red-hot form, and Shan Masood a fitness doubt. Full squad and analysis.
Shafique's Rise, Babar's Return: Pakistan Name Their Squad for the England Tests
By Cricket Daily
Pakistan have their squad ready for the three-Test tour of England, and it is a group carrying both fresh belief and a few worries. Before the detail, here are the quick answers fans are looking for.
Have Pakistan announced their squad?
Yes. The Pakistan Cricket Board has named a 17-player squad for the three-Test series in England, which has been updated since it was first announced because of injuries.
Who is captaining Pakistan?
Babar Azam. One of the finest batters of his generation is back as Test captain, having taken the role over from Shan Masood earlier in the year.
What is new about this squad? A new captain, the rise of opener Abdullah Shafique after his match-winning form in the West Indies, and a fitness cloud over Shan Masood. Star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is not part of the red-ball group.
When does the series start? The first Test begins at Headingley in Leeds on 19 August, with play starting at 11:00 AM local time.
Now, the full picture.
Babar Azam back in charge
The headline change happened before this tour began. Babar Azam has returned as Pakistan's Test captain, taking over from Shan Masood, whose time in the job proved to be one of the toughest runs in Pakistan's red-ball history. Masood led the side in 16 Tests and lost 12 of them, and after another disappointing stretch the selectors turned back to Babar, who had held the role before.
For anyone newer to the sport, Babar is comfortably one of the biggest names in world cricket, a batter of genuine class. Handing him the captaincy is both a cricketing and a symbolic move, an attempt to lift a team that has slipped to ninth in the World Test Championship, the two-year competition that ranks the best Test sides.
A promising start, and the Shafique factor
The good news for Pakistan is that they arrive in England with momentum. In their previous series, away in the West Indies, they fought back from a defeat in the first Test to win the second and draw the series 1-1. That fightback was powered by opener Abdullah Shafique, who produced a marathon unbeaten 160 and was named player of the match.
Shafique's story is a lucky-break-turned-triumph. He was only added to the squad as an injury replacement for Abdullah Fazal, who was ruled out with a back problem, and he seized the chance emphatically. He now looks certain to open the batting in England and is one of the players Pakistan will lean on most.
The Shan Masood doubt
The worry sits alongside that good news. Shan Masood, still an important batter even after losing the captaincy, suffered a fractured finger in the first Test in the West Indies when struck by a delivery from fast bowler Jayden Seales. He missed the rest of that series, and his availability for the first Test against England depends on his recovery.
Masood is travelling with the squad and continuing his rehabilitation, but Pakistan may have to start the series without him. If he is not fit, the likes of Saud Shakeel, a proven middle-order batter added to strengthen the squad, and uncapped right-hander Muhammad Awais Zafar are the options to fill the gap.
The batting
Beyond Shafique and Babar, the batting has a settled core with a few new faces. Imam-ul-Haq provides experience at the top, Azan Awais has held his place after impressing on debut, and Saud Shakeel adds a dependable presence in the middle order. Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batter, is a key figure with the gloves and the bat, with uncapped Muhammad Ghazi Ghori as the backup keeper.
England is one of the hardest places in the world to bat, with conditions that help the bowlers, so Pakistan will need this group to dig in and bat long. That is exactly what they failed to do in the first Test in the Caribbean, and exactly what Shafique showed is possible in the second.
The bowling: pace for England, spin in reserve
Pakistan's attack is interesting because the conditions ask for something different from what won them the last Test. In the West Indies, spin did the damage, but English pitches traditionally reward fast bowling, so the seamers move to centre stage here.
Leading that group is Mohammad Abbas, a skilful swing bowler whose accuracy is tailor-made for English conditions. He is backed by Mohammad Ali, exciting young quick Ubaid Shah, and Khurram Shahzad, with Aamir Jamal offering a pace-bowling all-rounder option, a player who can both bat and bowl. The spin department, which was so effective in the Caribbean, features off-spinner Sajid Khan and left-arm spinner Ali Usman, with captain Babar and Salman Ali Agha able to turn their arm over too.
Fresh faces and a notable absence
This is a squad in transition, and it includes several uncapped or lightly capped players getting their chance, among them Ali Usman, Awais Zafar and Ghazi Ghori. Blooding young talent while chasing results is a difficult balance, but Pakistan clearly see this tour as part of building for the future.
The most notable absence is Shaheen Shah Afridi. The star left-arm quick, who captains Pakistan in one-day cricket, is not part of the Test squad, a reminder that Pakistan are managing their formats separately.
What it all means
Put it together and this is a Pakistan side with a point to prove. They are near the bottom of the World Test Championship table and under pressure, but they travel with a returning star captain, a new match-winner in Shafique, and a refreshed coaching setup behind the scenes. England at home is a daunting assignment, and much will depend on Masood's fitness and whether the batting can stand up to English conditions.
If Pakistan bat the way Shafique did in the West Indies and their seamers exploit English pitches, they are capable of a serious upset. If they crumble as they did in that first Test in the Caribbean, it could be a long tour. Either way, it is a fascinating test of where this team is headed.
Keep it locked to Cricket Daily for team news, playing XI updates, and full coverage of Pakistan's tour of England.
Pakistan's squad for the England Test series
Batters: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Shan Masood (subject to fitness), Saud Shakeel, Muhammad Awais Zafar
Wicketkeepers: Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori All-rounders: Aamir Jamal, Salman Ali Agha Pace bowlers: Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Ubaid Shah, Khurram Shahzad Spinners: Sajid Khan, Ali Usman
Frequently asked questions
Is Shan Masood playing?
He is a fitness doubt after fracturing a finger in the West Indies. His availability for the first Test depends on his recovery, and he remains with the squad.
Who starred in Pakistan's last series? Opener Abdullah Shafique, whose unbeaten 160 helped Pakistan draw their series in the West Indies 1-1.
Why is Shaheen Shah Afridi not in the squad? The fast bowler, who captains Pakistan in one-day cricket, was not selected in the Test squad for this tour.
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