There has been huge debate on the recent changes in captaincy in Pakistan Cricket Team. After the 2023 ODI World Cup concluded Babar Azam stepped down from the captaincy across all formats.
Shaheen Afridi Axed From Captaincy
Shaheen Afridi was named captain of the T20Is and Shan Masood was announced as the skipper of the Test team. Under Afridi’s captaincy, Pakistan lost the series by 4-1 against New Zealand just before the 2024 T20 World Cup, due to which Afridi was axed from his T20I post.
Babar Azam who had already stepped down before reinstated his position and replaced Shaheen Afridi as the captain in white-ball cricket. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan, who was part of the 1992 ODI World Cup-winning side, expressed his disappointment with the decision to remove Shaheen as the captain and he called it “unjust” and stated he requires more time to deliver his potential.
“Shaheen Afridi has the ability to lead the team and is highly liked by the players. He is an excellent choice for captaincy in T20s. In white-ball cricket, I don’t see anyone else suitable for the role. Removing him from the captaincy was unjust. He is one of the best T20 players, and I’ve noticed his performance has slightly declined since he was removed from the captaincy. How can you expect good performance if you don’t give players confidence? They should be given some time as captain,” Moin said to Cricket Pakistan
Mohammad Rizwan To Replace Babar Azam In White-Ball Format?
Various reports have claimed that there’s a possibility that Mohammad Rizwan can replace Babar Azam as the white-ball captain.
“A single captain can be appointed for all formats of cricket, but it’s crucial for any player to perform across all formats to achieve this. Whoever becomes captain should have the responsibility for a long term. There is no doubt about Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities; any criticism against him might be due to his age. It’s also important to consider how long he can represent the team if given leadership. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy,” Moin added.
