Babar Azam Appointed as Skipper T20I, ODI

APP

Lahore: Babar Azam, known for his elegant batting style, has reclaimed the captaincy of Pakistan’s national T20I and ODI teams.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee unanimously selected him for the position, as announced on a social media platform. This decision marks Azam’s return as the white-ball captain.

Azam had previously been removed from the captaincy role in November last year following Pakistan’s disappointing performance at the ICC ODI World Cup in India.

He was replaced by fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi as T20I captain under the leadership of then Chairman Zaka Ashraf.

The test side’s leadership was entrusted to opening batter Shah Masood after Azam chose to step down as the red-ball captain.

The decision to strip Azam of the captaincy had sparked criticism within cricketing circles, with questions raised about the PCB chairman’s authority to appoint captains.

In a significant move, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced in March a change in the process, relinquishing his power to appoint captains.

Instead, the authority was delegated to a five-member selection committee comprising former test cricketers Mohammad Yousaf, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, and data analyst Bilal Afzal.

Azam’s journey as captain began in 2019 when he was initially appointed captain of the national T20I side, with subsequent roles assigned in ODI and red-ball cricket in 2020.