After a brief stint under Shaheen Afridi’s leadership, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the re-appointment of Babar Azam as the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team.
Babar, who previously led the team across all formats until the 2023 World Cup, will resume his role ahead of the crucial T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.
The decision comes following Pakistan’s disappointing 4-1 series loss against New Zealand under Shaheen Afridi’s captaincy.
With Babar at the helm again, PCB aims to revitalize the team’s performance and strategy, especially in the upcoming series against New Zealand scheduled for April 2024.
Babar’s leadership was temporarily set aside after the 2023 World Cup in India, where Pakistan faced an early exit. During this period, Shaheen Afridi was appointed T20 captain while Shan Masood took over the Test captaincy. The ODI captaincy remained uncertain.
The decision to re-appoint Babar Azam as the captain drew mixed reviews from the cricketing fraternity. While one side argued that Babar was vindicated after his removal from captaincy, the others were not happy that he took the captaincy reins once again after already serving for four years.
Despite the arguments, all eyes are now on Babar as he prepares to lead Pakistan in the upcoming challenges, starting with the series against New Zealand, where he aims to set the tone for Pakistan’s journey towards the T20 World Cup glory.
