Pakistan lost the final Test against England in Birmingham, the series ending 3‑0, a defeat that left the board scrambling and the players in a crisis of leadership.
Babar Azam, 31, has gone almost four years without a Test century, his last score coming against New Zealand in December 2022. He almost broke the drought against the West Indies and in the third Test against England, but was dismissed in both innings.
The loss was compounded when Waqar Younis, a former captain turned coach, publicly warned that the added burden of leadership was hurting Babar’s form and could cost Pakistan a player. “I think we are losing a player if we give him this responsibility,” Younis said at a post‑match event, citing the captain’s struggle to back teammates under pressure.
Wasim Akram slammed the comments, accusing Babar of not standing by his team, while the Pakistan Cricket Board, led by Mohsin Naqvi, had already sent seven players home after a 0‑2 deficit. The board’s decision to remove Shan Masood and then re‑appoint Babar added another layer of controversy.
Pakistan now sits ninth in the World Test Championship with four points, and an 11‑point deduction for a slow over‑rate at Edgbaston further dents their standing. The series loss and leadership debate leave the team in a precarious position.
The team must regroup before the ICC World Test Championship decider, and Babar’s future as captain remains in the balance.