The possibility of Babar Azam returning as T20 captain has been ruled out. Photo: PCB
KARACHI:
The possibility of Babar Azam returning as T20 captain has been ruled out. According to board sources, no such proposal is currently under discussion, and the focus remains on giving opportunities to new talent in modern cricket.
According to details, in PSL 11, Babar Azam scored the most runs (588), equaling the record of Fakhar Zaman. Under his leadership, Peshawar Zalmi also won the title. Since then, rumors have been circulating that the PCB is considering reinstating Babar as T20 captain in place of Salman Ali Agha.
However, when a top board official was asked about this, he responded with a firm “no.” Sources said that the think tank has not discussed any such move so far. The current focus is on Test matches in order to achieve better results in the ICC Championship. T20 cricket will be considered when the time comes.
Sources added that T20 is now a format suited to modern, aggressive young players, and preference will be given to them. In the past, white-ball coach Mike Hesson had also opposed including Babar Azam in the T20 setup. Despite this, he was included in this year’s World Cup squad, where the former captain scored only 91 runs in 6 matches, and the team’s overall performance was below expectations.
Even now, it seems unlikely that Babar will be reinstated as captain based solely on his PSL performance. His T20 International strike rate is 128, although he scored at an improved rate of around 146 in the recent PSL season.
It is worth noting that Babar Azam last led Pakistan in T20s during the 2024 World Cup. After him, Mohammad Rizwan captained the team for a few matches, followed by Salman Ali Agha. Under Salman’s leadership, Pakistan has won 31 out of 50 matches, although his batting performances have not met expectations. Under Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan won 48 out of 85 matches.
Pakistan’s next T20 assignment is a three-match series against Sri Lanka national cricket team in October.