Babar Azam’s captaincy future remains up in the air
Babar Azam, the star batsman of Pakistan’s cricket team, is uncertain about his position as captain for the upcoming World Cup. Despite rumors circulating about his potential replacement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly decided to retain him as skipper. However, Babar himself has stated that he is not certain about his position and prefers to focus on his performance and the team’s performance rather than rumors.
During a post-match press conference following the fifth and final One Day International (ODI) against New Zealand, Babar Azam responded to questions about his position as captain by saying he had not been informed whether he would stay on or not until the World Cup. Pakistan had already won the series 3-1, and Babar Azam had played a key role in that success with his outstanding batting performance.
However, New Zealand captain Tom Latham led his team to a consolation win in the fifth ODI, knocking Pakistan off their world number-one ranking in the format and reducing Pakistan’s position to third behind Australia and India. Babar Azam lamented that his team couldn’t finish the series on a better note, despite their efforts to clean-sweep the Black Caps.
Babar Azam praised the team’s performance throughout the series, saying there were many positives and good performances. He also highlighted the opportunity that the upcoming matches before the World Cup would provide for the team to prepare for the mega event. Babar is known for his focus on his own performance, and he emphasized that he tries to work even harder when he achieves a new milestone, rather than resting on his laurels.
However, there have been reports of tension within the team. Opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq wrote a cryptic post on Twitter after he was not included in the playing XI for the fifth and last ODI against New Zealand in Karachi. He had scored 90 runs and received the man-of-the-match award in the third ODI but was dropped from the fourth and fifth matches. Before the last ODI, he wrote, “Life is an unexpected journey so never expect anything from anyone. Be patient, Allah is watching!”
When asked about Imam’s tweet, Babar Azam shrugged off the question, saying he had not seen the post yet but would look at it later. Babar has also dismissed reports of tension within the team, stating that the Men in Green do not play cricket by looking at the number of senior players in any team.
Babar’s captaincy has been under scrutiny since Najam Sethi took charge as the chairman of the PCB’s interim management committee. However, sources claim that the PCB has decided to retain Babar as the skipper of the national team following his outstanding performance during the ODI series against New Zealand.
As Pakistan’s most successful T20 captain, Babar has led the team to a series of impressive victories. Under his captaincy, Pakistan won the T20I series against South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies. He also played a pivotal role in leading his team to victory in the T20I series against England, which was held in England, Pakistan’s first international series in the country since 2010.
Read More: Pakistan’s short reign as No.1 ODI team comes to an end in just 48 hours
Babar Azam’s position as captain for the upcoming World Cup remains uncertain despite rumors of his replacement. While the PCB has reportedly decided to retain him as a skipper, Babar himself is not certain about his position and prefers to focus on his performance and the team’s performance rather than rumors. The upcoming matches before the World Cup will provide an opportunity for the team to prepare for the mega event, and Babar will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in leading his team to victory. Regardless of his position as captain, Babar’s outstanding performance as a batsman has cemented his status as one of the best in the world.
