By The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opted to relieve Babar Azam of his captaincy across all formats, as disclosed by sources to Geo News on Tuesday night, thereby concluding his extensive tenure in the leadership role.
This decision follows Pakistan, under Babar’s captaincy, failing to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2023 held in India.
Sources indicate that should Babar choose to tender his resignation, the PCB would be amenable to accepting it. Otherwise, the board is prepared to dismiss him from the captain’s post.
Amidst this shake-up, Shan Masood emerges as a strong contender for the captaincy in the forthcoming Test series against Australia, while Shaheen Shah Afridi is positioned for the T20I series in New Zealand.
Additionally, insiders suggest that Shaheen may lead the Green Shirts in the T20 World Cup slated for the following year.
Babar Azam assumed the role of white-ball captain in 2019 and took on the Test captaincy in 2020. However, despite his leadership, the Green Shirts failed to secure any ICC or Asia Cup titles.
Despite entering the World Cup as the top-ranked team, Pakistan could not validate their standing, exiting the tournament in the group stage.
Mickey Arthur, the team’s director, expressed support for Babar, who he described as “depressed” after the World Cup setback. Arthur underscored that committing errors is not a punishable offense.
Babar Azam is scheduled to meet with PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf later today. An announcement regarding his captaincy is anticipated following this meeting.
Amidst the PCB’s decision to strip Babar Azam of captaincy, the focus now shifts to potential successors.
Shan Masood emerges as a formidable candidate for the captaincy in the Test series against Australia, while Shaheen Shah Afridi is poised to lead the team in the T20I series in New Zealand.
Insiders suggest that Shaheen Shah Afridi’s leadership may extend to the T20 World Cup next year.
The decision to remove Babar Azam comes on the heels of Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ICC World Cup 2023, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage.
Despite the leadership shake-up, director Mickey Arthur extends support to the ousted captain, asserting that it’s not a “crime” to make mistakes.
The cricketing fraternity awaits the outcome of Babar Azam’s meeting with PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf, where the final decision on his captaincy is expected to be disclosed.
