It appears that Pakistani cricket is about to undergo yet another upheaval, following Babar Azam’s unexpected resignation as captain of all formats some months ago. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly attempting to persuade Babar to take over as captain of all forms after losing faith in Shaheen Afridi.
Notably, the PCB appointed Shan Masood as Pakistan’s Test captain just prior to the difficult tour of Australia in December of last year. In the hopes that the young fast bowler would rise to the occasion, Afridi, who is 22 years old, was given command of the Twenty20 side.
The military academy Kakul in Abbottabad is now hosting the Pakistan cricket squad for training sessions.
With just two months left before the T20 World Cup begins, PCB believes Babar will take over as captain for T20Is and all other forms, replacing current captain Afridi.
IANS cited a source as stating, “The decision emerged from a late-night meeting between Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi and the selectors.”
Even though the PCB wants Babar to lead until the T20 World Cup, the great batsman would prefer to assume the role permanently and not just for the main event.
The source stated, “Babar has already informed the PCB that he wants to captain the national team in all formats and has kept it as a pre-condition to consider captaincy in the T20I format.”
The star batter’s close associates have also counselled Babar to press his demands before the PCB because this is the appropriate moment.
“PCB is currently at risk. Babar is what they want for the T20I World Cup. Additionally, given the precarious position of the board, they would have to accede to his requests,” the insider stated.
The current captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has not been informed of the PCB decision, even though the selectors are engaging with Babar Azam to decide who will command the T20I team going forward.
The star batter’s close associates have also counselled Babar to press his demands before the PCB because this is the appropriate moment.
“PCB is currently at risk. Babar is what they want for the T20I World Cup. Additionally, given the precarious position of the board, they would have to accede to his requests,” the insider stated.
The current captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has not been informed of the PCB decision, even though the selectors are engaging with Babar Azam to decide who will command the T20I team going forward.
The star batter’s close associates have also counselled Babar to press his demands before the PCB because this is the appropriate moment.
“PCB is currently at risk. Babar is what they want for the T20I World Cup. Additionally, given the precarious position of the board, they would have to accede to his requests,” the insider stated.
The current captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has not been informed of the PCB decision, even though the selectors are engaging with Babar Azam to decide who will command the T20I team going forward.
The star batter’s close associates have also counselled Babar to press his demands before the PCB because this is the appropriate moment.
“PCB is currently at risk. Babar is what they want for the T20I World Cup. Additionally, given the precarious position of the board, they would have to accede to his requests,” the insider stated.
The current captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has not been informed of the PCB decision, even though the selectors are engaging with Babar Azam to decide who will command the T20I team going forward.
The star batter’s close associates have also counselled Babar to press his demands before the PCB because this is the appropriate moment.
“PCB is currently at risk. Babar is what they want for the T20I World Cup. Additionally, given the precarious position of the board, they would have to accede to his requests,” the insider stated.
The current captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has not been informed of the PCB decision, even though the selectors are engaging with Babar Azam to decide who will command the T20I team going forward.
However, many people are taken aback by the announcement of a potential change and have chastised the PCB for remaining mute and allowing whispers and conjecture to dominate discussions.
It would be unjust to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi, according to former cricket player Shahid Afridi, especially considering that he only led the team in one series.
In addition to aggressively preparing for the forthcoming World Cup, Shaheen Afridi was instrumental in persuading Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim to reverse their retirements and return to international cricket.
It was reported that Shaheen had made contact with both cricket players to get them to rejoin the team in order to improve the performance of the national side.
Nonetheless, Shaheen’s lack of knowledge over his likely replacement as captain has undoubtedly cast doubt on the PCB’s internal workings.