The news from Geo News suggests that Babar Azam might be removed as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly considering removing him from captaincy across all formats. If Babar decides to step down voluntarily, the PCB will accept it, but if he doesn’t, they may remove him from leadership in all three formats. There are speculations about batsman Shoaib Masood or bowler Shahin Afridi taking over as the new captains.
Pakistan had a tough time in the World Cup, winning only four out of their matches. Despite starting well by defeating the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, Babar’s team faced four consecutive losses afterward. Even though they won against Bangladesh and New Zealand, those victories weren’t enough to salvage their World Cup campaign.
Babar’s performance with the bat also didn’t meet expectations. He scored an average of 40 in four matches with a strike rate of 82.90, which was below his usual standards. Before the England match, Babar himself admitted that he hadn’t been performing as expected.
Even in the Asia Cup preceding the World Cup, Babar’s time as both a batsman and captain wasn’t very successful. So, there’s considerable pressure on him as a captain, making any decision regarding his captaincy imminent.
According to the news reports, the PCB is contemplating various options, including discussions with former cricketers like Younis Khan, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Aqib Javed regarding future plans. There’s also talk about Mohammad Hafeez potentially taking the role of Pakistan’s chief selector. Inzamam-ul-Haq had stepped down from this position during the World Cup, leaving room for new appointments.
There’s speculation about having different captains for different formats, with Shan Masood possibly becoming the Test captain and Afridi leading the T20 side. Additionally, Mickey Arthur, the cricket director, mentioned after the defeat in England that mistakes should be a learning opportunity and that Babar should be given the chance to improve. However, even Arthur might face dismissal. There’s talk about PCB considering replacing all foreign coaches, including Arthur, after the World Cup, adding to the list the departure of the team’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, replaced by former pacer Umar Gul.
Today, there’s a scheduled discussion between PCB Chairman Zakir Ashraf and national team head coach Grant Bradburn through a Zoom meeting. Arthur will join the meeting remotely as he is currently in Dubai.
