The Pakistan Cricket Board has made an unexpected decision by reinstating Babar Azam as the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team.
Babar Azam has been named as the captain of the national team for both the ODI and T20I formats once again. After stepping down from his captaincy duties across all formats following the 2023 ODI World Cup, Babar is back in charge, thanks to Mohsin Naqvi taking over as the chairman of the PCB. The official Twitter account of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made the announcement on March 31, confirming Babar’s reinstatement.
“Following unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has appointed Babar Azam as white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team,” they said in a video post where PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi can be seen talking to Babar.
Although Pakistan faced a setback in Test cricket under Shan Masood’s leadership against Australia, he will remain at the helm for the longest format. In T20Is, there’s worry among stakeholders following a 4-1 series loss under Shaheen Shah Afridi’s captaincy, especially considering Lahore Qalandars’ performance in the PSL.
Babar Azam’s comeback as captain will see him guiding Pakistan through a string of T20Is against New Zealand on home soil, followed by a tough series against England away, featuring four T20Is. The most anticipated event of the season will undoubtedly be the T20 World Cup later this year. Fans took to social media with surprising reactions to this announcement.
Here are some of the reactions:
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