Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly not considering a return of former captain Babar Azam as captain of the national T20 side despite his impressive performance in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.<\/p>\n
According to sources, speculation had been circulating after Babar led Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL 11 title and finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 588 runs, equaling the PSL record previously held by Fakhar Zaman.<\/p>\n
However, when a senior PCB official was asked whether the board was considering replacing Salman Ali Agha with Babar as T20 captain, the response was reportedly a clear \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sources said the PCB\u2019s current think tank has not held any formal discussion regarding a change in T20 leadership. The board\u2019s primary focus at present remains on improving Pakistan\u2019s performance in Test cricket and securing better results in the ICC World Test Championship cycle.<\/p>\n
Officials believe modern T20 cricket demands an aggressive and fearless approach, with younger players being given preference in the shortest format. Sources further claimed that white-ball head coach Mike Hesson had previously opposed including Babar in Pakistan\u2019s T20 plans, although the star batter was still selected for the ICC T20 World Cup squad earlier this year.<\/p>\n
During the World Cup campaign, Babar managed only 91 runs in six matches, while Pakistan\u2019s overall performance also came under criticism.<\/p>\n
PCB insiders believe that despite Babar\u2019s successful PSL season where he scored at a strike rate close to 146 it would still be difficult to justify restoring him as T20 captain solely on the basis of domestic performances.<\/p>\n
Babar\u2019s overall T20 International strike rate currently stands at 128, a figure that has often drawn debate among analysts regarding his suitability for the evolving demands of modern T20 cricket.<\/p>\n
The former skipper last captained Pakistan in T20 Internationals during the 2024 T20 World Cup. After his departure from leadership, Mohammad Rizwan briefly led the side before Salman Ali Agha took over the role.<\/p>\n
Under Salman\u2019s captaincy, Pakistan have won 31 out of 50 T20 matches, although questions continue to be raised over the team\u2019s batting performances and consistency.<\/p>\n
In comparison, Pakistan won 48 out of 85 T20 Internationals during Babar Azam\u2019s tenure as captain.
\nPakistan\u2019s next T20 assignment is scheduled for October, when the national side will face Sri Lanka national cricket team in a three-match T20 series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly not considering a return of former captain Babar Azam as captain of the national T20 side despite his impressive performance in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11. According to sources, speculation had been circulating after Babar led Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL 11 title and finished the tournament as the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2417,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,136],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[213],"class_list":{"0":"post-74343","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest","8":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n