Abbottabad, March 30 (IANS) After a late night meeting on Friday between selectors and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi; selectors are on their way to the military academy Kakul in Abbottabad to meet with star Pakistani batsman Babar Azam and convince him to take the captaincy slot in all formats for the national cricket team.
According to reliable sources, the selectors have decided to persuade Babar Azam to become captain for T20Is and all other formats, replacing current captain Shaheen Shah Afridi. The decision stemmed from a late-night meeting between Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi and the selectors.
The selectors are set to convince Babar Azam to take on the role of captain until the upcoming T20I World Cup. However, Babar Azam is keen on a long-term captaincy position across all formats beyond just the T20I World Cup.
“Babar has already communicated to the PCB that he wishes to lead the national team across all formats and has kept it as a pre-condition to consider captaincy in the T20I format,” said a source familiar with the situation.
Sources close to Babar Azam have advised him to assert his demands at this time, citing the vulnerability of the PCB. The board is eager to have Babar as captain for the T20I World Cup and may have to accept his terms due to their current vulnerable position.
While the selectors engage in discussions about the next T20I captain with Babar Azam, the current captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has been left uninformed about the PCB’s decision-making process.
“There is a clear lack of communication between the PCB and Shaheen Shah Afridi, which is concerning. None of the selectors nor the PCB Chairman himself have reached out to Shaheen Shah Afridi regarding the ongoing discussions about his replacement,” the source added.
The potential change in captaincy has sparked criticism, with many questioning the PCB’s silence on the matter and allowing rumors and speculations to circulate. Former cricketer Shahid Afridi has expressed disapproval of removing Shaheen Shah Afridi, especially after leading the team in only one series.
Shaheen Afridi has been actively preparing for the upcoming World Cup and played a crucial role in persuading Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir to come out of retirement and boost the national team’s performance. However, the lack of transparency in informing Shaheen about his potential replacement as captain raises concerns about the PCB’s operations.
