Star Pakistan batsman Babar Azam is poised for a potential return to captaincy following the appointment of Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi as the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Babar had relinquished the captaincy across all formats after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they failed to reach the semi-finals.
Despite the former PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf’s encouragement for Babar to continue leading the Test side, the 29-year-old showed no inclination to persist in the role. However, recent reports, as indicated by Pakistan journalist Qadir Khawaja, suggest a likely reinstatement of Babar as the team’s captain.
Babar Azam will become the captain of Pakistan team once again, as per Qadir Khawaja 👀
What about Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi now? 😮 pic.twitter.com/qmWYJi1k7B
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 6, 2024
Following Babar’s resignation, Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi were appointed as Test and T20I captains, respectively, but the ODI captaincy remains vacant.
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Under new leadership, Pakistan’s struggles persisted, notably enduring a whitewash in Australia for the sixth consecutive time and losing 17 consecutive Tests down under. Additionally, they suffered a 1-4 defeat in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand under Afridi’s captaincy.
Currently featuring in the Bangladesh Premier League 2024, Babar has showcased impressive form, amassing 251 runs in six innings at an average of 50.20 and a strike rate of 114.61, including two fifties. Notably, his highest score of 62 came against Durdanto Dhaka in Match 12.
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In the recent T20I series against New Zealand, Babar emerged as the second-highest run-scorer, accumulating 213 runs in five innings at an average of 42.60 and a strike rate of 142, with three fifties. However, his performance in the Test series against Australia was below par, managing just 126 runs in six innings at an average of 21 without a fifty.
