After a disappointing performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Babar Azam has been given another chance to lead the Pakistan cricket team as the captain of the white-ball format. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially announced this decision, marking Azam’s comeback just two months ahead of the highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup, set to take place in the USA and the West Indies.
Following Pakistan’s failure to advance to the knockout stage in the previous World Cup, Azam voluntarily stepped down from his leadership role. The PCB underwent a revamp, appointing pace bowler Shaheen Afridi as the captain for the T20I squad and handing the Test captaincy to Shan Masood.
However, the past four months have not been favorable for Pakistan. They faced a crushing defeat in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, losing 1-4. Adding to the disappointment, Afridi’s captaincy during the Pakistan Super League resulted in Lahore Qalandars finishing at the bottom of the table with just one victory out of ten matches.
The PCB’s selection committee unanimously recommended Babar Azam’s reinstatement as the white-ball captain, which Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed. The committee, comprising Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq, and Mohammad Yousuf, expressed confidence in Azam’s leadership abilities.
Azam’s first assignment as captain will be a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, followed by four away games against England. These matches will be crucial preparations for Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign.
The Pakistan team’s journey in the ICC tournament will commence on June 6 with a match against co-hosts USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. The highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals India will occur on June 9 in New York, adding excitement to the tournament. Ireland and Canada are the other teams grouped with Pakistan in Group A of the T20 World Cup.
