Babar Azam has been named Pakistan’s captain for both ODIs and T20Is.
Babar Azam, a Pakistan cricket legend, has been reappointed as the men’s national team’s captain in the ODI and T20I formats. Babar had stepped down as Pakistan’s captain in all forms following the conclusion of the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, the PCB chose to reassign him as team head under Mohsin Naqvi’s presidency.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced in a post that Babar Azam had been named as white-ball captain. Following a unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has selected Babar Azam as the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain.
Masood will continue to lead Pakistan in Tests despite his earlier defeat against Australia. In T20Is, Pakistan lost Afridi’s maiden series as skipper 4-1. The fast bowler’s PSL side, Lahore Qalandars, struggled in the T20 competition, prompting stakeholders to question his choice as skipper in the shortest format.
According to a statement from the PCB, the current selection panel fully supports Babar’s comeback as the team’s white ball captain. The selecting committee consists of Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq, and Mohammad Yousuf.
Babar’s first assignment after reclaiming captaincy will be a five-match T20I series at home against New Zealand, followed by four T20Is away to England. The main task will be the T20 World Cup later this year.
Babar’s nomination as captain, however, comes as a setback to Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had hoped to lead the team in the T20 World Cup.
