On this day, May 31, 2015, Pakistan captain and top batter Babar Azam made his international debut against Zimbabwe during an ODI match in Lahore.
In his first international appearance, Azam scored 54 runs off 60 balls, including four boundaries.
Azam has played in 47 Tests, 100 ODIs, and 104 T20Is since making his debut, totaling over 12,000 runs.
Azam, one of Pakistan’s most successful captains, was previously rumored to continue leading the national team till the 2023 World Cup, which would be hosted in India in October.
Though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to make an official announcement, ‘The News’ has learned from reliable sources that the Board’s think-tank, which includes Chairman Management Committee Najam Sethi, Chief Selector Haroon Rashid, and Director Coaching Mickey Arthur, has unanimously decided to keep Babar as captain until the 2023 World Cup. In addition to guiding the squad in the World Cup, he will captain the team in all series and events building up to the giant event.
These include a two-Test series against Sri Lanka, a three-ODI series against Afghanistan, and the Asia Cup, which Pakistan will host in September.
“Following a series of meetings over the last few weeks, including online meetings and a meeting in mid-April when Arthur was here, the troika has decided to keep Babar as team captain until the World Cup.” The source stated to The News “there is no potential candidate who can come even closer to his abilities as a cricketer and captain, so the best and most sane approach is to continue with Babar as the captain until the ODI World Cup 2023.”
It seems that Babar has already been informed of the decision.
“This has been primarily to seek his assistance and guidance in selecting team members for upcoming series, including the Asia Cup and, later, the World Cup.” It’s as if a decision (stitch) in time saves the nine. Because Pakistan will host the Asia Cup and the World Cup is also scheduled for the subcontinent, making a timely choice always helps in planning ahead of time,” the source noted.
