Xtra Time Web Desk: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears to have lost faith in the ability of Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi to lead the national side and feels former skipper Babar Azam is the best choice to captain the side once again. Babar had stepped down as Pakistan captain across all formats after his team failed to make it past the group stages during the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Meanwhile Masood was appointed captain in the Test format, Shaheen was made the T20I skipper.
The PCB board thinks with no viable option available; Babar is the best choice to lead the side again. According to sources, “Feelers have been sent out to Babar to find out if he is ready to take charge again and he has shown some reservations. Apparently, he wants some assurances from the board chairman.”
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Babar was removed as captain in the white-ball format immediately after their World Cup failure, when Zaka Ashraf was PCB chairman at that time. Babar then opted to step down as red-ball captain as well. Babar had held the position of captain in all formats since 2020 but poor performances in the Asia Cup and World Cup led to his removal.
According to source, “Shaheen, during Zaka’s time, was seen as the saviour of Pakistan cricket as T20 captain as he had won two finals for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League. But he now appears to have run out of favour very quickly with the change of guard in the board.” Shaheen not only lost his first series as captain in New Zealand (1-4) but returned Pakistan to see Qalandars finish at the bottom of the points table in the PSL this year.
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Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has come out in defence of his son-in-law Shaheen Shah Afridi following the speculation of removing the later from T20 captaincy. “I think that if you have appointed someone as captain (Shaheen) and given him the responsibility then give him time as well.” The biggest problem with our cricket is that our system changes whenever the faces change in the board. Whoever comes thinks whatever he is doing is the best for Pakistan cricket,” said Afridi.
The source added that the current chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, was relying heavily on the advice of former players in taking important decisions. With the return of seasoned players like Imad Wasim and Muhammad Amir from retirement, it has also been decided that the chairman will meet the duo along with Babar soon to sort out any misunderstandings.