Babar Azam reinstated as Pakistan's white-ball skipper ahead of T20 World Cup 2024

Under the leadership of newly appointed chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board has reinstated Babar Azam as the captain of the senior men's team for white-ball cricket, encompassing ODIs and T20Is.

BREAKING PCB reappoints Babar Azam as white-ball captain ahead of T20 World Cup 2024 snt

Sunita Iyer

First Published Mar 31, 2024, 10:54 AM IST

Pakistan's star batsman, Babar Azam, was on Sunday reinstated as the white-ball captain, just two months before the T20 World Cup 2024. He takes over from fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who led the team in just one series, a 1-4 loss to New Zealand in January.

The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) selection committee unanimously recommended Babar's return to the captaincy.

"Following unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has appointed Babar Azam as white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the Pakistan men's cricket team," the PCB said in a media release.

In a recent Lahore meeting with PCB Chief Naqvi, Babar reportedly sought assurances regarding his tenure and expressed his desire to be appointed as the captain of the Test side as well.

However, a PTI report quoting a credible source within the PCB revealed that Naqvi clarified the board's position, stating that while Babar would receive a fair opportunity as captain in white-ball formats, a decision regarding the Test captaincy would be deferred.

Presently, Shan Masood leads the red ball team.

"Naqvi made it clear to Babar that PCB will decide on the Test captaincy after appointing the red ball foreign coach and Pakistan has no Test commitments until after the World Cup," the source told PTI.

After a disappointing performance at the ODI World Cup in India last November, Babar Azam stepped down as captain from all three formats.

His decision came after then PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf informed him that he would no longer lead the white-ball formats but would remain captain of the Test team.

During Babar's tenure as captain, Pakistan reached the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. The upcoming edition of the tournament is scheduled to commence on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies.

The announcement was reportedly made following a meeting between selectors - Muhammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq, and Bilal Afzal - with Shaheen in the Kakul training camp on Saturday evening. They informed him of their decision for him to concentrate on his bowling, suggesting that having a batsman lead the white-ball teams would be more beneficial.

According to the PTI report quoting insiders, Shaheen accepted the decision without much protest, though he highlighted the perceived unfairness of being judged solely on one series.

The report added that Shaheen's performance as captain for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, which resulted in their last-place finish, along with his inconsistent individual performance, were significant factors influencing the decision to replace him.

"The PCB Chairman had made it clear to the selectors that they must decide who should be the captain and also said they would be answerable for the performances of the national team in the future,” the source told the news agency.

Last Updated Mar 31, 2024, 12:35 PM IST