According to sources in Geo News, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering allowing former Pakistan captain Babar Azam to lead the national team again. The rumors emerged after PCB president Mohsin Naqvi said at a press conference last week that the team captain would be selected by a seven-member selection committee.
“Shaheen Shah Afridi will remain captain, otherwise there will be a new captain. “This decision will be taken after the meeting,” the PCB official said. Babar, who returned to the country after performing Umrah, was allowed to meet Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials before leaving for the Abbottabad training camp in Kakul.
The matter confirms that the former captain has not yet decided whether to accept an offer to become captain, adding that the 29-year-old would "accept" some of the things that the key to the job has given him. The development comes amid major changes within the national team following the Team's poor performances in the Asia Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup, which ultimately led to Babar stepping down from his position as team captain in all three formats.
“Today I will retire as Pakistan captain in all formats. “This is a difficult decision, but I think it is the right time to have this conversation,” Babar said in a statement to X, formerly of Twitter. After his resignation, the board appointed Shan Masood as Test captain, and Shaheen was tasked with leading the national team in the T20 format - the ODI captaincy remained vacant and the situation has not changed to date. Earlier this month, Geo News, citing a local publication, reported that left-arm pacer Shaheen was in danger of losing his captaincy ahead of the World T20 due to his poor performance in the ninth season of the Pakistani Super League (PSL 9).
The cup is scheduled for June this year. There are rumors of a change at the helm in Green Jersey as the national team is also looking for a head coach after Grant Bradburn stepped down from his leadership role following his move to the National Cricket Academy (NCA). There was a change in leadership in Lahore. Files of many high-ranking officials. A day earlier, sources had told Geo News that the PCB had asked former New Zealand batsman Luke Ronchi to coach the national team as head coach. The uncertainty over the future of the national team captain comes as the team prepares to face New Zealand in the home T20I series, the away T20I series against Ireland and England, and most importantly the upcoming T20I World Cup.
You must be logged in to post a comment.