Pakistan’s Test series in England from August 19 to September 13, 2026 ended in a 3-0 defeat. The tour proved deeply troubling for the visiting side, with significant consequences emerging after the second Test at Lord’s. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) removed head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, alongside seven players from the squad.
Babar Azam, who was appointed Test captain in July 2026 to replace Shan Masood ahead of the West Indies and England tours, stated that the squad changes were news to him. He was unaware of the major alterations before the third Test at Birmingham. The captain’s lack of knowledge about such sweeping changes drew sharp criticism from former Pakistan pace bowler Wasim Akram.
Speaking at an event in Manchester, the former Pakistan speedster questioned Babar’s position as captain during the series.
‘I do not want to blame anyone, and I could be wrong as well. But in my opinion, Babar should not have taken the captaincy. All of this was unnecessary,’ Akram said as quoted by Geo News.
Babar looked clueless in the last two Tests, failing to lead his team from the front when the chips were down. With the bat, he managed to score just 97 runs in four innings.
“Babar Azam said he did not know. If you don’t know, then what were you doing here? Were you here to sell chickpeas?” the Pakistan pacer great said.
“As a player or as a person, I believe that if your leader or captain does not stand by you, you cannot give 100 per cent,” he added.
The legendary fast bowler’s remarks reflected his concern about the timing and wisdom of Babar’s return to the captaincy role.
Akram expressed his view that Babar should never have assumed the captaincy again after Shan Masood had held the position. The former Pakistan great believed that stepping down from the role during the England tour would have been the appropriate course of action. Instead of continuing as captain through the final Test at Edgbaston, Akram felt Babar should have relinquished the position following the second Test defeat and participated in the third match as a player only.
“My suggestion is that after the second Test, Babar should have said that he would play only as a player,” he added.
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Babar’s performance during the series was inconsistent. He registered three single-digit scores before scoring 76 in the final innings at Edgbaston, though Pakistan lost that match as well. His earlier captaincy stint from 2020 to 2023 had produced a record of 10 wins, 6 losses and 4 draws across 20 Tests. In the West Indies tour preceding the England series, Babar had won Player of the Series with two fifties and 193 runs as Pakistan drew the series 1-1.
