Daily Times

Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan’s all-format captain last year following his team’s disappointing World Cup performance

Decision to reappoint Azam as white-ball skipper comes after Shaheen Afridi’s maiden stint as Pakistan’s T20 captain ended in 4-1 loss to New Zealand

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed it has reappointed star batter Babar Azam as the national team’s white-ball captain on Sunday, months before the South Asian country takes part in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Azam resigned as Pakistan’s captain of all three cricket formats in November 2023 after his team failed to advance from the group stage in the ODI World Cup in India last year. Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed Pakistan’s T20 captain while left-handed batter Shan Masood was appointed Test skipper. No one was appointed to lead Pakistan in the 50-over format.

The decision to reappoint Azam as white-ball captain came after Afridi’s maiden stint as leader ended in a disappointing 4-1 loss to New Zealand in an away series. Questions were raised about his leadership in the T20 format after the Lahore Qalandars, under his captaincy, won only one out of 10 matches in this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament.

“Following unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has appointed Babar Azam as white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team,” the PCB wrote on social media platform X.

The current PCB selection committee comprises former chief selector Wahab Riaz and ex-cricketers Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Yousuf. They will be joined by Azam as captain and the coach, who is yet to be appointed, and a data analyst. Selection decisions will be made by vote, with 4-3 majorities carrying the day.

Azam will lead his side once again in Pakistan’s next series against New Zealand at home in April, with the two sides playing five T20Is against each other.

He will then lead his squad for the important ICC T20 World Cup in June this year. The international tournament is scheduled to be held in the United States and the West Indies.