Islamabad: The prolonged suspense surrounding the captaincy of the Pakistan Cricket Team has finally come to an end. Once again, Babar Azam has been entrusted with the leadership role, replacing Shaheen Afridi. However, this time, Babar will exclusively captain Pakistan in white ball cricket.
After stepping down from the captaincy following the ODI World Cup 2023, Babar Azam has now been reinstated as the captain for limited-overs formats. His responsibilities will extend to both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) matches. This decision also relieves Shaheen Shah Afridi of his captaincy duties.
The captaincy saga in Pakistan cricket had caused quite a stir. Despite the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially assigning Babar Azam as captain, he initially hesitated to accept the role. Babar had a specific condition: he would only lead the team if he played in all three formats.
Babar Azam is set to take charge during the upcoming T20 series against New Zealand. The five-match series, scheduled for April, will witness the first three matches in Rawalpindi and the final two in Lahore. All eyes will be on Babar as he leads Pakistan’s whiteball campaign.