LEEDS, England (AP) — Pakistan captain Babar Azam was ruled out of the first test against England starting on Wednesday because of a hand injury.
Babar was struck on the middle finger of his right hand while batting against the West Indies this month, and hit again in a warmup game last week in Beckenham.
“Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first test match,” Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said on Tuesday. "Salman Agha will be the captain for the first test."
Ahmed said the finger was not broken and he hoped the pain will reduce so Babar could play in the second test at Lord's starting on Aug. 27.
But his absence was a blow to Pakistan. Babar had just been reappointed captain and led the scoring in the West Indies.
Agha will captain the test team for the first time. He's the skipper of the Twenty20 side.
Shan Masood, whom Babar replaced as captain, was recovered from his own broken finger during the first test in the West Indies. He missed the second test and warmup game but he'll return to the top order at Headingley.
“Our practice match gave us a lot of confidence,” Ahmed said. “Whatever bases we needed to cover with bat and ball, we did. We believe we'll do very well here.”
Pakistan is touring England for the first time since 2020 and the host appears vulnerable after losing the home series against New Zealand in June. Captain Ben Stokes retired and coach Brendon McCullum was fired and replaced by fellow New Zealander Stephen Fleming. However, Fleming will miss the Pakistan series and Marcus Trescothick will be in interim charge.
Joe Root expects to be a much better England captain than he was the first time from 2017-22. He's led England in a record 65 tests and earned 27 wins, 27 losses.
He noted the circumstances were different from his first stint, and he was not the same player and person. He felt “very fortunate and in a unique position” to accept the captaincy again following the retirement of Stokes. He said he'd learned a lot from playing under Stokes and McCullum.
"I feel as ready as any other England captain that's ever been before,” Root said. “To have that amount of experience is invaluable."
He confirmed Harry Brook, who Stokes endorsed for the captaincy, was continuing as vice-captain.
“I fully feel he's got my back like the rest of the guys do,” Root said.
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England's Joe Root and Jofra Archer attend a nets session at Headingley, Leeds, England, Monday Aug. 17, 2026, ahead of the 1st Test match against Pakistan on Wednesday. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)
Pakistan's head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, left, and Babar Azam, right, attend a nets session in Leeds, England, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026 ahead of the in the first Men's Rothesay Test Match between England and Pakistan starting Wednesday. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Trey Mancini, the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 for his return from colon cancer who then helped Houston win the 2022 World Series, announced his retirement Tuesday after his latest comeback lasted five games with the Los Angeles Angels.
“Thank you, baseball,” Mancini wrote on lnstagram.
Mancini, 34, agreed to a minor league contract with the Angels in February, a deal that included an invitation to major league spring training. Mancini hit .273 with six homers, 29 RBIs and three steals for Triple-A Salt Lake this year.
The right-handed batter had three hits in his first major league game since 2023 playing first base in a 5-4 loss to the Houston Astros in 10 innings. Mancini's final major league appearance was June 14, and he was designated for assignment on June 17.
“I am blessed to have made a home in the Orioles organization for 10 years, win a World Series in Houston, play for the Cubs in Chicago (I wish I played better for you guys), and make it back up to the MLB with the Angels,” Mancini wrote while also thanking the Reds, Marlins and Diamondbacks as well.
Mancini batted .263 with 129 homers and 404 RBIs in the majors. He played parts of six seasons with the Orioles and hit a career-high 29 homers in 2019.
He then missed the 2020 season after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon. He made a successful return to the Orioles in 2021, and he won a World Series ring in 2022 after Baltimore traded him to Houston.
Mancini spent part of the 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs. He has since played in the minor league systems of the Reds, Marlins and Diamondbacks. He opted out of a minor league deal with Arizona last July after batting .308 with 16 homers for Triple-A Reno.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
FILE - Baltimore Orioles' Trey Mancini (16) is safe at home before the tag by Washington Nationals catcher Yan Gomes during the first inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park, Aug. 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - Chicago Cubs first baseman Trey Mancini, left, holds up his World Series Championship ring after it was presented to him by Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker Jr., before a baseball game, May 15, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
FILE - Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Trey Mancini watches his inside-the-park home run hit against Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong during the eighth inning of a baseball game, July 28, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams, File)
FILE - Baltimore Orioles' Trey Mancini celebrates with a chain around his neck after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins and watches another go out by Ryan Mountcastle in the sixth inning of a baseball game, July 3, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)
FILE - Baltimore Orioles' Trey Mancini tips his helmet as fans give him a standing ovation prior to a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, April 8, 2021, on Opening Day in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
