PCB mulls return of Babar as captain

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly contemplating reinstating Babar Azam as the captain because of dissatisfaction with the leadership of Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Babar was removed following Pakistan’s early exit from the ODI World Cup last year. Shan and Shaheen were appointed as Test and T20I captains, respectively. Sources within the PCB revealed that the board is reconsidering Babar Azam’s leadership due to the perceived absence of viable alternatives.

It is believed that the board has lost confidence in Masood and Shaheen’s ability to lead the national sides effectively.

Interestingly, Babar has reservations about accepting the role again. Sources indicate that Babar seeks assurances from the board chairman before committing to the captaincy once more.

Babar was stripped of captaincy following the World Cup during Zaka Ashraf’s tenure as PCB chairman. Subsequently, he voluntarily stepped down as the red-ball captain as well. His tenure as captain across all formats since 2020 was marred by disappointing performances in major tournaments like the Asia Cup and World Cup.