Babar Azam Returns as Pakistan’s Cricket Captain

Staff Report

Babar Azam has returned to the pavilion after a hiatus following the conclusion of the World Cup cricket series, during which he was relieved of his captaincy position due to internal team conspiracies.

Babar Azam resigned as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team following their underwhelming performance in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday that Babar Azam would once again assume the role of captain for Pakistan’s T20I and one-day internationals (ODIs).

Babar Azam is renowned for his batting prowess in the Pakistan team. However, experts and cricket enthusiasts speculated that a faction led by Afridi conspired against him, resulting in the team’s poor performance in the Cricket World Cup, aiming to remove him from leadership.

After the alleged conspiracy, Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed captain of the T20 format, while Shan Masood took charge of the Test team.I feel special playing in Pakistan: Australia’s opener Usman Khawaja says

Thus, the blame for the team’s lackluster performance in the Cricket World Cup held in India was squarely placed on Babar Azam, leading to his resignation at that time.

The PCB announced Babar Azam’s appointment as the white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team in a post on X, following a unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee.

In addition, the PCB released a video documenting the meeting between Naqvi and Babar Azam.

Meanwhile, the PCB publicly disclosed a list of 29 players participating in a fitness camp in Kakul, Abbottabad.

Following his appointment as chairman of PCB, Mohsin Naqvi also revamped the selection committee for the national squad.

Naqvi conducted a press conference at PCB headquarters in the Gaddafi Stadium last week, where he stated that the new selection committee would consist of seven members, each possessing equal authority.

He emphasized that there would be no Chief Selector, promoting a more inclusive decision-making process.

Naqvi mentioned that thorough deliberations were conducted before finalizing the committee members, which include four former players: Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, and Wahab Riaz, alongside the captain and head coach.

He further explained that a data analyst would serve on the committee, and coordinators would be appointed, though without voting rights.