Babar Azam’s Captaincy Dilemma: PCB’s Offer and Demands

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has offered Babar Azam the white-ball captaincy once again, following Shaheen Shah Afridi’s one-series stint as T20I captain. However, Babar has not yet accepted the offer, expressing his desire to be appointed captain across all three formats if he is to consider a return. This comes after Babar was stripped of the captaincy in all formats following Pakistan’s poor performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The PCB’s decision regarding the captaincy has been met with some controversy, particularly concerning Afridi’s leadership abilities. Despite being considered a long-term captaincy option, Afridi faced criticism after Pakistan’s T20I series loss against New Zealand and Lahore Qalandars’ poor performance in the PSL. Babar’s demand to be named Test captain adds pressure on Shan Masood, the current Test captain, who led the side in a series against Australia where Pakistan lost all three games.

The captaincy saga reflects the PCB’s turbulent state over the past 18 months, marked by multiple chief selectors and selection committees. The current selection committee, without a chief selector, includes four selectors, the Pakistan captain, coach (yet to be appointed), and a data analyst. Babar’s decision regarding the captaincy offer is eagerly anticipated as Pakistan prepares to face New Zealand in April.

Related News