Pakistan suffer major blow as captain Babar ruled out of 1st Test vs England

Pakistan suffer a major setback ahead of the first Test against England as newly reappointed captain Babar Azam is ruled out with a finger injury. Babar injures the middle finger of his right hand while batting against the West Indies and aggravates it during a warm-up game in Beckenham.“Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first test match,” Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said. “Salman Agha will be the captain for the first test.”Babar ruled out, Agha takes chargeAhmed confirms that Babar’s finger is not broken but says the team hopes the pain settles in time for the second Test at Lord’s, starting August 27. Babar’s absence is a significant blow after he recently returned as captain and was Pakistan’s leading run-scorer against the West Indies.Agha is set to captain Pakistan in a Test for the first time, having already led the team in T20 cricket.