Back at the helm

The PCB's decision to reinstate Babar Azam as test captain is a necessary reset for a team in desperate need of direction. When Babar was removed as Test captain in November 2023 following Pakistan's disappointing ODI World Cup campaign, few could have predicted that the Shan Masood experiment would unravel so poorly. Masood lost 12 of his 16 Tests as captain - a staggering record that saw Pakistan finish at the bottom of the World Test Championship cycle. At one point, the team lost seven consecutive Tests under his watch. Making things worse was the fact that for much of his career, Shan has failed to put up numbers to justify his spot in the team, let alone as leader.

The selection committee was unsurprisingly unanimous in its decision to hand the captaincy to the last guy who actually did a half-decent job in the role. Babar is not just "the best option", as selector Aaqib Javed put it. As things stand, he is the only one. Babar's first stint as Test captain was relatively successful. He led Pakistan to 10 wins in 20 Tests, losing just six. He also averaged over 50 with the bat while in charge, securing memorable series victories over South Africa, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Despite the slump that led to him losing the job in 2023, Babar has proven that even on a bad day, he has the competence that should be expected from a leader.

And a leader is what this team full of new faces needs. Senior figures such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali and Noman Ali have all been dropped in favour of uncapped talents like 20-year-old fast bowler Ubaid Shah, left-arm spinner Ali Usman and middle-order batter Awais Zafar. There are no big stars with big egos in this dressing room. Babar will have a unique opportunity to shape the team, rather than manage egos.

Babar has embraced this reality, vowing to support the youngsters while maintaining non-negotiable standards on discipline, fitness and performance. He also said he is returning with greater "maturity and clarity" compared to his last stint, which is exactly the kind of self-awareness needed in a good leader.