Babar Azam's Injury Sidelines Him from First Test against England

Pakistan's cricket captain Babar Azam will miss the first test against England due to a hand injury sustained during a warm-up match. Salman Ali Agha is set to lead the team in his absence. The injury marks a repeated setback for Azam who injured the same hand earlier.

Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam will be absent from this week's first test against England after injuring his right hand during a warm-up match, as announced by head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed. In his place, Salman Ali Agha will take the captaincy, stepping up for his first test match leadership.

Babar, who was re-appointed as the test captain for Pakistan in July, previously suffered an injury to the same hand during a match against the West Indies earlier this month. Despite the setback, hopes remain that he will return for the second test following medical assessments.

Babar's absence is a significant setback for the touring team considering his impressive record of nine centuries across 64 test matches. Salman, who has previously captained Pakistan in white-ball cricket, will take charge in the test series starting Wednesday in Leeds.