Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been ruled out of the first Test against England at Headingley with a right-hand injury, with Salman Agha confirmed as the stand-in skipper for the match.

"Pakistan captain Babar Azam is unavailable for the first Test match," head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed on the eve of the Test. "Salman Agha will be the captain for the first Test."

Babar suffered the injury to his right hand during the three-day warm-up against Professional County Club Select XI in Beckenham, having already been recovering from an impact injury sustained on the same hand during the recent second Test against the West Indies. He batted during the training session on the eve of the match, but the Pakistan Cricket Board medical team ultimately advised against him taking part, with the call being made a day earlier than initially expected.

Pacer Mohammad Abbas, who had initially suggested a call on Babar's availability would be made on the first morning, said: "He did a few throwdowns and some batting practice today. But we'll have to follow medical advice for it."

Agha has previously led Pakistan in T20Is and ODIs, but this will be his first taste of Test captaincy. Pakistan's decision comes against the backdrop of Shan Masood's tenure ending with 12 defeats in 16 Tests, which included whitewashes in Australia, South Africa and against Bangladesh.

The Test also marks a significant moment for England, who begin life after Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Stokes' retirement closes an era that transformed England's approach to the format, while Joe Root begins his second stint as full-time captain, three years after stepping down, with Marcus Trescothick taking interim charge until Stephen Fleming assumes the head coach's role later this year.

Root was bullish about maintaining England's attacking identity under a new regime. "I don't think there's a huge amount we need to change. It's small things that will make a big difference. It's not about ripping it up, I think it's about keeping a lot of the good stuff we've been doing for a period of time, stuff that Ben and Baz built for a long while," he said. "I don't believe there is one way of playing Test cricket. You've got to be adaptable and play the situation. It's never the same throughout five days, there's different challenges and you've got to adjust to the ebbs and flows throughout."

England desperately need a series win after a difficult run that included a 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and a 2-1 home loss to New Zealand that brought Stokes' Test career to a close. Pakistan, with a new captain and several new faces, will look to exploit any uncertainty — the two sides sit seventh and eighth respectively in the World Test Championship standings.

England have been forced into changes themselves, with Jacob Bethell's knee injury opening the door for Jordan Cox to move up to No. 3, while Dan Lawrence returns to the side for the first time in two years after a prolific County season with Surrey. Ollie Pope and Brydon Carse are also back after being left out following the Ashes. Pakistan, meanwhile, have doubts over Masood's fitness after an injured index finger, with Abdullah Shafique — who impressed with an unbeaten 160 in the second Test against West Indies — and Mohammad Abbas both in contention.

When and where: First Test, August 19-23, at Headingley, Leeds. Rain is forecast for the first couple of days. Probable England XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson / Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue. Probable Pakistan XI: Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Salman Agha (c), Saud Shakeel, Awais Zafar, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali.