Pakistan Head Coach Backs Babar Azam Ahead of West Indies Test Series

Pakistan Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has backed newly appointed captain Babar Azam to produce strong results as Pakistan prepare for their two-match away Test series against the West Indies later this month.

Babar Azam is set to begin his second stint as Pakistan’s Test captain after replacing experienced top-order batter Shan Masood on Sunday. Shan led Pakistan in 16 Test matches but managed only four wins during his time as captain.

Babar Azam previously captained Pakistan in 20 Tests between 2020 and 2023. Speaking earlier this week in an exclusive interview, Babar said it was an honor to lead Pakistan again.

He added that he had learned a lot from his previous captaincy experience and was confident about leading the team with better planning and a positive mindset.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, who has been retained as head coach of Pakistan’s men’s Test team for the West Indies series, also expressed confidence in Babar. His backing comes despite Pakistan suffering a 2-0 away whitewash against Bangladesh in May at the start of Sarfaraz’s tenure.

“I had a conversation with Test captain Babar, and we expect good results from his captaincy,” Sarfaraz said during a media interaction on Wednesday.

Sarfaraz Ahmed also confirmed that Pakistan’s training camp for the West Indies series will begin Thursday in Islamabad. He said the camp would help address fitness concerns within the squad.

“Pakistan Test team’s training camp begins in Islamabad tomorrow,” Sarfaraz told reporters.

“There was a camp earlier in which fitness issues arose, some of which were resolved, while others will be addressed in the camp starting tomorrow,” he added.