PCB Re-instating Babar Azam as the T20 captain after an early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 has received major backlash. Shaheen Afridi was named T20 captain after a short spell in charge but he was replaced by Babar Azam just before the T20 tournament, having already relinquished the ODI captaincy after the World Cup.
PCB’s Leadership Shuffle
The decision to reappoint Babar Azam followed the appointments of Shan Masood as Test captain and Shaheen Afridi as T20 leader. But after only one series under Shaheen’s leadership, the PCB quickly decided to replace him with Babar as captain for the T20 World Cup. Since then, this move has come under a lot of fire, especially when Pakistan performed badly and was out of the competition.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali strongly criticized Babar Azam as a captain and a decision-maker during the debate. Basit Ali talked to the private channel and said that Babar Azam’s failure to speak directly to Shaheen Afridi about the switch in captaincy divided the dressing room.
Basit Ali said that he wanted to become captain again; he should have called Shaheen Afridi and said that he got an offer from the management; he would have gone to Fakhar Zaman and told him! That would have saved their comradeship and the inner discord, he added.
Historical Comparison, Criticism of Babar Azam Captaincay, and Leadership Suggestions
Earlier, Basit Ali recalled how Pakistan cricket great Younis Khan, in the past, had once gone to sleep in a room to avoid a surprise party inside the house. Younis Khan, who once rejected the captaincy when Misbah-ul-Haq was to be removed as captain,.
He concluded. Misbah called me and said that he was being sacked. I inquired as to who was going to become the captain, and he answered ‘Younis Khan’. I said to Younis, Deine, that this was not the right time for you to become captain. He was off to South Africa for three series, in which he would be the fall guy if the series was a loss. Younis refused; ‘Basit narrated.
Basit said that Babar should have done the same for Shaheen or should have contacted him at least. Babar should have done the same, or called Shaheen at least. This is why their friendship is affected now, he said. After Pakistan’s horrendous campaign in the T20 World Cup, there are reports of PCB eyeing major changes.
Leadership Challenges Ahead and the Future of the Field
According to reports, the board is considering appointing 8–9 players from the ongoing squad, including important players Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. The PCB’s game-planning and the inner workings of the team are all but certain to be subjected to a microscope as they negotiate these treacherous waters.
But there is still thought to be major fallout from their shambolic T20 World Cup and, as a result, a dramatically belated change of guard could have significant repercussions for Pakistan cricket. The return of Babar Azam as Pakistan captain and reactions from others are an illustration of the realities of leadership in the sport. Get the team’s communication under control. Above all, he emphasized team harmony.
As Pakistan Cricket aims to develop and move forward to be better prepared for future campaigns, they will reap rewards from this T20 World Cup campaign. The decisions of PCB in the coming days will have a key role in deciding the way forward for the team and bringing it back into hot stuff on the international level.
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