Reports: Mohammad Rizwan to replace Babar Azam as Pakistan's white-ball captain

Babar Azam is likely to be removed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain ahead of the away series against Australia in November. The star batter failed to help his team qualify for the semi-final in the ODI World Cup 2023, after which, he relinquished the position from all three formats. Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as the T20I captain while the baton was handed to Shan Masood in red-ball cricket. 

However, the new management under Mohsin Naqvi decided to reappoint Babar as white-ball captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 but the move didn’t make much of a difference. The Men in Green failed to beat the USA and India in the tournament and were eliminated from the first round. Babar’s form also was a matter of discussion. He failed to lead by example and not much changed in the recent Test series against Bangladesh, which is why, PCB is considering sacking him, to help him focus more on batting.

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According to Geo News, PCB is considering appointing Rizwan as captain for all three formats of the game. The keeper-batter has done well for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as under his leadership, the franchise has played two back-to-back finals. 

Meanwhile, PCB recently announced the Champions One Day Cup, a domestic tournament to identify future talents. The senior players will be playing in the tournament as well, as Rizwan, Afridi, Shadab Khan, Saud Shakeel, and Mohammad Haris have been appointed as five captains. Interestingly, Babar wasn’t picked as one of the leaders, which could be a sign that PCB is no longer considering him for captaincy.

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The report also claims that Babar has been conveyed about the decision in July. PCB made the decision after consulting white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten. The decision is expected to be made public when Pakistan announce their squad for the Australia series, slated to begin on November 4.