Pakistan To Sack Babar Azam As White-Ball Capitan? Ahmed Shehzad Makes Bold Remark
Babar Azam in the nets (@babarazam258)
Babar Azam, the face of Pakistan cricket and arguably the most popular player, finds himself in the spotlight, but this time for all the wrong reasons. After leading Pakistan to an early exit from the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup and enduring a tough period in Test cricket, questions about his form and leadership have dominated discussions.
Despite recent speculation that Babar would remain Pakistan's white-ball captain until the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, sources indicate a storm is brewing within the PCB, and his future as captain is in jeopardy.
Ahmed Shehzad Takes Brutal Dig At Babar Azam's Captaincy
Former Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad, in a video on his YouTube channel, dismissed the reports claiming that Babar's captaincy had been secured until the 2025 Champions Trophy.
"It is wrong. It has been categorically said that the meeting was not related to captaincy or central contracts. People are saying Babar has been handed captaincy until the Champions Trophy. Our sources say it is wrong. The news is false. We have learnt that if Babar doesn't hand his resignation himself, then he will be sacked. Gary Kirsten has demanded big changes before the Champions Trophy. I think this is the way forward," Shehzad said on his YouTube channel.
In the wake of Pakistan's poor performance in recent times, reports emerged that Babar Azam would be replaced as the captain of the white-ball teams, with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan being touted as his successor.
The speculated change in leadership, which had been a hot topic since September, was believed to be a necessary move to revive Pakistan's fortunes in limited-overs cricket. However, recent developments seem to indicate otherwise. Sources suggest that, despite the internal and external pressures, Babar Azam will retain the white-ball captaincy for now.
As Pakistan prepares to host England in October, the upcoming series will be a litmus test for the side. All eyes will be on Pakistan to see how they recover from their recent disappointments and whether Babar Azam can rediscover the form that once made him the favourite of Pakistan cricket.