In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday night, Babar Azam announced his resignation as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. The star batter was only recently reinstated as captain of the T20I team ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, Pakistan’s disastrous performance saw the side eliminated in the group stage itself, hence this call.
Suppose PTI reports are anything to go by. In that case, the PCB is contemplating restructuring the leadership with different captains for different formats, keeping the workload management concerns of an exhausting international calendar in mind.
As all-format captain and face of Pakistan cricket, Babar had been expected to continue captaining the ODI side; his resignation surprised many. The frontrunner for the white-ball captaincy is the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, Mohammad Rizwan, simply because he is an automatic pick in both formats. Still, his route to the position is not without its complications.
There have been questions over Rizwan’s workload and how much longer he can continue to pull all the levers in the three demanding formats of playing and captaincy. Like Babar and Shaheen Afridi, the selection of Rizwan across formats presents workload worries for red-ball coach Jason Gillespie, head coach Gary Kirsten, and the PCB selectors.
The team has a busy schedule, with 18 ODIs and T20Is lined up in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa between November and December. They then play a two-test series in South Africa before returning home to face West Indies in a two-test series commencing in January. They will also take part in an ODI tri-series along with New Zealand and South Africa and then feature in the ICC Champions Trophy.
The tight schedule will conclude with a white-ball series against New Zealand ahead of the PSL. It means an already intensive calendar has increased the stakes and raised concerns about how Rizwan will cope with the dual pressures of playing and captaincy.
With these pressures, the PCB contemplates splitting captaincy between ODI and T20I formats or naming a strong vice-captain to assist Rizwan. This will allow him ample rest while simultaneously providing continuity in leadership as his deputy steps in for him during his absences.
Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Saim Ayub, and Shan Masood are others in the frame for any form of leadership. Reports have cited Kirsten’s frustration in finding a capable player who can handle the responsibility of being captain in all or most formats, which was becoming increasingly topical after Babar had shown these recent dips in form and confidence.
