According to sources, Babar Azam is poised to reclaim the captaincy for Pakistan ahead of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand on home turf. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly made the decision to reinstate Azam, who had relinquished the captaincy across all formats in November last year.
The recommendation to reinstate Azam as captain came from the selection committee. Meanwhile, there have been indications that Shaheen Afridi is contemplating stepping down as T20I captain following the board’s decision. However, sources close to the pace bowler have advised against it.
It’s worth noting that Shaheen took over the T20I captaincy from Azam last year, while Shan Masood assumed the role in Test cricket. The PCB had earlier stated that a decision regarding Shaheen’s future as T20I captain would be made after the ongoing fitness camp in Kakul, concluding on April 8.
During a press conference after the announcement of the selection committee on March 24, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi refrained from commenting extensively on Shaheen’s captaincy prospects.
“Even I don’t know who the captain will be,” Naqvi remarked. “Whether Shaheen continues or a new captain is appointed will be determined after the fitness camp [starting on Monday].”
Naqvi emphasized the importance of considering various technical factors in selecting a long-term captaincy solution, expressing the intention to support the chosen individual consistently, rather than making changes based solely on match outcomes.
Azam had stepped down from the national team’s captaincy across all formats in November, concluding his tenure following a disappointing World Cup campaign. Criticism had mounted against him for Pakistan’s underwhelming performances in the Asia Cup and the subsequent World Cup, where they failed to advance to the semifinals.
While Azam had previously been appointed as the white-ball captain in 2019 and Test captain in 2020, Pakistan did not secure any ICC or Asia Cup titles under his leadership.
