Babar Azam is a Pakistani batter and former all-format captain, widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. In July 2026, he was reinstated as Pakistan’s Test captain, just months after struggling badly with the bat during the T20 World Cup 2026.
Few modern cricketers have experienced a career arc quite like Babar Azam’s years at the very top of the world rankings, a fall from captaincy amid harsh criticism, and now a surprising return to Test leadership. This guide covers his full career numbers, the story behind his captaincy comeback, and where his form currently stands heading into a challenging Test assignment.
Who Is Babar Azam?
Mohammad Babar Azam, born on October 15, 1994, in Lahore, Pakistan, is a right-handed top-order batter who quickly established himself as one of Pakistan’s most important cricketers within just a few years of his international debut. By 2019, he was already recognized as one of the finest batters in white-ball cricket, becoming the fastest Pakistani player to reach 3,000 ODI runs.
At his peak, Babar was the only current batter to feature in the top five of the ICC rankings across all three formats simultaneously a rare achievement that underlined his all-round consistency as a batter.
Babar Azam’s Career Stats (As of July 2026)
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 62 | 4,481 | 42.68 |
| ODI | 143 | 6,626 | 53.44 |
| T20I | 145 | 4,596 | 38.95 |
His ODI average in particular remains one of the best in the world among current players, built through years of consistent, technically correct batting at the top of the order.
Babar Azam’s Rise to All-Format Captaincy
Babar was first appointed Pakistan’s ODI and T20I captain in 2019 and 2020, replacing previous leadership as Pakistan Cricket Board looked to build around their most talented young batter. In November 2020, he was also given the Test captaincy, replacing Azhar Ali, making him Pakistan’s captain across all three formats.
His captaincy tenure included several notable wins a home series victory over South Africa, away series sweeps in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and reaching the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup. Statistically, Babar became Pakistan’s most successful all-format captain after Imran Khan, based on overall win percentage.
The Fall: Why Babar Azam Lost the Captaincy
Pakistan’s disappointing performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup, combined with a difficult stretch in Test cricket, brought heavy scrutiny on Babar’s leadership. His personal form also dipped significantly during this period he managed just one Test half-century across all of 2023 and 2024, with his average during that stretch falling to just 21.36.
By late 2023, amid Pakistan cricket’s broader leadership instability, Babar stepped down from the captaincy across all formats. Despite his overall record as one of Pakistan’s most successful captains historically, the pressure of poor results and personal form made the position untenable.
Babar Azam’s Difficult 2026 T20 World Cup
Babar’s struggles continued into 2026. During Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, he endured what many pundits described as one of the worst stretches of his career scoring just 91 runs across four innings at an average of 22.75 and a strike rate of 112.34. His form was so poor that he was dropped from the playing XI for Pakistan’s Super-8 match against Sri Lanka, a significant moment for a player once considered automatically first-choice across formats.
Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, his broader white-ball numbers have also declined noticeably averaging just 38.6 in ODIs and 26.52 in T20Is over that period, well below his career norms.
The Surprise Return: Babar Azam Named Test Captain Again
In a move that surprised much of the cricket world, the Pakistan Cricket Board named Babar Azam as Test captain again in July 2026, replacing Shan Masood ahead of a two-match series against the West Indies. This marks Babar’s second stint as Pakistan’s Test captain.
Why Was Shan Masood Removed?
Masood’s tenure had been marked by heavy struggles he lost 12 of his first 16 Tests in charge, the worst start of any captain in Test cricket history, and oversaw seven consecutive losses, tying Pakistan’s own record for the longest losing streak. Pakistan’s high-performance director cited the repeated pattern of losses, including squandered winning positions, as key reasons behind the decision to change captains again.
Babar’s First Stint as Test Captain (For Comparison)
In his previous term as Test captain, which ran until 2023, Babar led Pakistan in 20 matches, winning 10 including that home series win over South Africa and clean sweeps in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. His batting average specifically as Test captain during that period was a strong 50.79, showing that leadership responsibilities didn’t significantly hinder his own batting output the first time around.
Can Babar Azam Turn It Around Again?
Babar now faces an unusual challenge: leading a Test side immediately after one of the poorest form patches of his career in white-ball cricket, while also being asked to fix a Test team that has been struggling badly under previous leadership. His first assignment includes a series against the West Indies, followed by Pakistan’s first Test series against England in six years a high-profile return to the format that will be closely watched.
For context on how Test captaincy tactics like declarations and enforcing the follow-on work, see our guides on Declaration Rule in Test Cricket Explained and Follow On Rule in Test Cricket Explained.
Interesting Facts About Babar Azam
- Babar became the fastest Pakistani batter to reach 3,000 ODI runs, a record that highlighted his rapid rise as a white-ball specialist early in his career.
- At his peak, he was the only current batter in the world to rank in the top five of the ICC’s Test, ODI, and T20I batting rankings at the same time.
- His ODI batting average of 53.44 remains one of the best among all current international batters, despite his recent form dip in the shorter formats.
- Babar’s Test average as captain (50.79) during his first stint was actually higher than his overall Test career average, suggesting leadership brought out some of his best batting form at the time.
- He currently captains Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, alongside stints for franchises including Somerset, Rangpur Riders, and the Sydney Sixers.
- Despite being dropped mid-tournament from Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, he was still handed the Test captaincy just months later a rare example of a player facing both a domestic-level demotion and an international promotion within the same year.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Babar Azam still Pakistan’s captain? Yes, as of July 2026, Babar Azam was reinstated as Pakistan’s Test captain, though he is not currently Pakistan’s ODI or T20I captain.
2. Why did Babar Azam lose the captaincy in 2023? He stepped down from all-format captaincy in late 2023 following Pakistan’s disappointing 2023 World Cup campaign, a dip in his personal form, and broader instability in Pakistan cricket’s leadership structure.
3. What is Babar Azam’s ODI batting average? As of mid-2026, Babar Azam averages 53.44 in ODI cricket across 143 matches, one of the best averages among current international batters.
4. Why was Babar Azam dropped from Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad? He struggled significantly with the bat during the tournament, averaging just 22.75 with a strike rate of 112.34 across four innings, leading to his exclusion from the Super-8 match against Sri Lanka.
5. Who did Babar Azam replace as Pakistan’s Test captain in 2026? He replaced Shan Masood, whose tenure was marked by a historically poor run of results, including 12 losses in his first 16 Tests as captain.
Conclusion
Babar Azam’s career has taken a genuinely unusual turn in 2026 dropped from a T20 World Cup squad due to poor form, only to be handed back the responsibility of Pakistan’s Test captaincy months later. With a challenging assignment against the West Indies and a high-profile series against England on the horizon, his second stint as Test captain will be a defining test of whether he can rediscover the form and leadership that once made him one of the most complete batters in the world.
For more on Test cricket captaincy tactics and formats, explore our Complete Cricket Rules Guide 2026 or our guide on Test Cricket Explained.
This is a developing story, and we’ll continue to update this article as Babar Azam’s Test captaincy return unfolds.
