Babar ruled out of first Test against England; Salman Agha to lead
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 18, 2026, 12:34 PM
Last updated Aug 18, 2026

Babar Azam has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to an injury to his right hand. He sustained the injury during the warm-up game and has not recovered in time for the match. Salman Agha will take over as captain for the encounter. The first Test is set to begin shortly.
- •Babar Azam unavailable for the first Test due to injury
- •Salman Agha appointed as stand-in captain
- •Injury occurred during a warm-up match
- •The first Test against England is imminent
- 12:54 PMYahoo Sports — Pakistan dealt injury blow as captain Babar Azam ruled out of first Test against England
- 12:34 PMESPNcricinfo — Babar ruled out of first Test against England; Salman Agha to lead
"He has been unable to shake off an injury to his right hand after being struck during the warm-up game
"Off-spinning all-rounder Salman Agha will captain the side in the batter’s stead
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsAug 18, 2026, 12:54 PMPakistan dealt injury blow as captain Babar Azam ruled out of first Test against England
Off-spinning all-rounder Salman Agha will captain the side in the batter’s stead
- ESPNcricinfoAug 18, 2026, 12:34 PMBabar ruled out of first Test against England; Salman Agha to lead
He has been unable to shake off an injury to his right hand after being struck during the warm-up game
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