The cricketing world is abuzz with the latest goings-on around the Pakistan team. Babar Azam stepping down as the skipper throws all light onto Mohammad Rizwan, who has been presented as one of the strongest candidates to lead in ODIs and T20Is, too. However, head coach Gary Kirsten has expressed a fear that he feels Rizwan might be too young to handle the pressures of being captain of all three formats. Let us delve deeper into this with player performance, team dynamics, and what’s in store for Pakistani cricket.
Gary Kirsten and Leadership Issues
The PCB has accepted Babar Azam’s resignation but still wants him to be one of the key players in whites-ball formats. Mohammad Rizwan is the most obvious replacement after Babar goes, but the workload issues surround him like an overshadowing cloud. Gary Kirsten and selectors have indicated that Rizwan is a good player, but the schedule would be too hectic for his head to handle the captaincy pressure in the different formats. A pretty exhausting international schedule in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa would be filled up with ODIs and T20Is. This would raise the question of whether Mohammad Rizwan can cope with playing and captaining at the same time.
He has proved himself to be a talented player. His batting skill has made him a part and parcel of this cricket team. However, the added pressure of leading the side will make things a bit different, which he needs to take care of. The selectors should also consider whether his current form will withstand the added responsibility of a captaincy.
Three Captains End
This could make Pakistan opt for the three captains for ODIs, T20Is, and Tests. This might be the best way out. Once the leadership is divided, they will not stress themselves out captaining every format of the game. If Rizwan is not to be made the captain for all formats, then well and good. Other contenders have been around a while and should get a shot at the job. Shadab Khan, Shan Masood, and Shaheen Shah Afridi have all been put in the polemic hat as potential captains. All three of them have their strengths with them; the choice could go deep into the psychology of the team.
One thing Gary Kirsten mentioned was workload management. Rizwan, Babar, and Shaheen will play all three formats, and they rightfully don’t deserve to be overexposed, for that does burn eventually. A good vice-captain would also provide the side with the depth of support Rizwan would carry when he needed a break.
Strategic Decisions
The PCB’s selection committee, spearheaded by Gary Kirsten, has some tough decisions ahead of it. This committee needs to consider now who can best lead the team through these changes. For Pakistan, balancing experience and fresh ideas at the helm will be of paramount importance in the following months.
To sum up, there is some justification for Gary Kirsten’s worries about Rizwan having the chops to do justice to all-format captaincy. It is quite challenging to lead at this level. As Pakistan moves on, it needs to work out a multi-captain system so that the cricketers can flourish under the leadership rather than being confined and pressured. Whether it’s Rizwan or anybody else who will take charge, the strength of the team will be the parameter of success on the international platform. The decisions to be taken in the next few weeks are going to determine the future of Pakistan cricket to a great extent.
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