Babar Azam appears at toss in blazer despite being ruled out of first Test vs England

Pakistan's Test captain Babar Azam walked out in his team blazer for the coin toss ahead of the first Rothesay Test between England and Pakistan at Headingley, Leeds, on August 19, 2026, despite being ruled out of the match with a finger injury. The sight of the right-handed top-order batter appearing at the toss while unavailable to play drew considerable attention on the opening morning of what is Pakistan's first Test tour of England since 2020.

A video of the moment was shared on social media, which showed broadcasters Nasser Hussain and Ian Ward looking amused at the sight of Pakistan's designated Test skipper, who was set to miss the clash due to his injury.

Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton get confused after seeing Babar Azam with his blazer on 😅

Babar was ruled out due to a blow to the middle finger of his right hand. The injury was first sustained while he was batting against the West Indies in August 2026 and was aggravated during a warm-up game in Beckenham in the week leading up to the Headingley Test. Coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed that the finger is not broken or fractured, and expressed hope that Babar would recover in time for the second Test at Lord's, scheduled to begin on August 27

With Babar unavailable, Salman Ali Agha was named as Pakistan's captain for the first Test at Headingley. This is the first time Salman Agha has led a Test side. He already holds the captaincy of Pakistan's T20I team, making the Headingley appointment his first assignment at the helm in the longest format.

England's Joe Root, in his first Test back as captain after Ben Stokes' retirement, won the toss and elected to bowl first on an overcast day. Ollie Robinson started proceedings with a wicket off the first ball of the match, trapping Azan Awais LBW, before removing Shan Masood with an inswinger in similar fashion in the fifth over. Pakistan found themselves at 23 for 2 in 9.4 overs before rain interrupted the game.