LAHORE: Pakistan’s former captain and star batsman, Babar Azam, is poised to reassume the role of skipper, as the new management of the Pakistan Cricket Board revisits the decision amidst current circumstances.
Azam, renowned as one of the greatest T20 and ODI players, stepped down from captaincy across all formats last year citing differences with the management.
With the change in top officials, the PCB is expected to reinstate Babar Azam as the captain of the national men’s team. Reports in local media suggest that the star batter is hesitant to shoulder the responsibility.
Shaheen Afridi’s captaincy in T20Is is uncertain, with Babar Azam emerging as the probable replacement. While Mohammad Rizwan was previously considered, recent developments have favored Babar for the coveted role.
The Cricket Board officials are expected to finalize the decision regarding Babar’s appointment as captain in the coming days.
Babar relinquished his white-ball captaincy to Shaheen Afridi after the 2023 World Cup. Subsequently, he stepped down from the red-ball captaincy, leading to Shan Masood’s appointment. Pakistan’s performance faced setbacks under Shaheen’s captaincy, including losses in Australia and New Zealand.
With the recent changes, there is speculation surrounding the potential return of Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir to the T20I squad, which raises questions about their previous criticism of Babar’s leadership.
