Afghanistan’s historic victory over Pakistan in their first-ever ODI encounter has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. Critics and former players didn’t hold back in their critique of Babar Azam’s leadership, particularly in Pakistan’s inability to defend their total at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Consequently, there’s been intense speculation about potential replacements for Babar, should Pakistan fail to make it to the World Cup semi-finals, with a keen eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Babar’s captaincy seems to hang in the balance, and the only lifeline might be a miraculous winning streak in their remaining matches to secure a semi-final spot. Even then, his role might be restricted to leading the team in red-ball cricket, according to an insider closely linked to developments within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Sources have told SportsTak that there are three candidates in line to takeover from Babar Azam, they are Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammed Rizwan.
The source also pointed out that Babar had the final say in squad selections, a factor that hasn’t worked out in Pakistan’s favor. It’s worth noting that he went against the advice of former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez, who recommended squad changes ahead of the Asia Cup and World Cup, but Babar chose not to heed their counsel.
Misbah confirmed these reports and disclosed his preference for including Abrar Ahmed in the squad, a decision that Babar overruled by selecting him as a traveling reserve.
In light of these uncertainties, there’s a growing possibility that Pakistan might opt for different captains for red and white-ball formats. In addition to the three previously mentioned candidates, there are suggestions to consider Shan Masood as the Test captain.
Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy victory in 2017, is conspicuously absent from the ODI squad. The team’s recent poor performance has also raised questions about the roles of key figures such as Team Director Mickey Arthur, head coach Grant Bradburn, and bowling coach Morne Morkel.
Further complicating matters are reports of PCB’s frustration with leaks of dressing room disputes to the media.
Babar Azam took over the T20I captaincy in 2019 after Sarfaraz’s dismissal and later assumed the leadership in all formats. However, his tenure has seen Pakistan’s failure to reach the World Test Championship final in 2021-23 and an early exit from the Asia Cup. The pinnacle of his captaincy was reaching the final of the 2023 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan lost to England.
