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Batsman Babar Azam made a return to the captaincy of the men\u2019s cricket team on Sunday after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that he would lead the Green Shirts in ODIs and T20s as part of a \u201cstrategic move\u201d.<\/p>\n
In a post<\/a> on social media platform X, the PCB said, \u201cBabar Azam appointed as white-ball captain.\u201d<\/p>\n It said the decision was made following a \u201cunanimous recommendation\u201d from the PCB\u2019s selection committee and its chairman Mohsin Naqvi.<\/p>\n The PCB also shared a video clip from a meeting between Babar and Naqvi.<\/p>\n In a press release<\/a> issued later in the day, the board said the decision was taken as part of a \u201cstrategic move aimed at ensuring player well-being and peak performance\u201d.<\/p>\n It said Shaheen Shah Afridi had \u201cundeniably proven himself as a star fast bowler\u201d by leading Pakistan\u2019s pace attack over the years but the board recognisesd the importance of rotation and rest to maintain his peak performance.<\/p>\n \u201cThis decision aligns with board\u2019s commitment to safeguarding the longevity of the players, especially fast bowlers given their injury timelines in the past two years.\u201d<\/p>\n The PCB said that keeping in mind workload management, the decision was to ensure that the main bowlers remained at the top of their game.<\/p>\n \u201cThe board does not want the national men\u2019s team to run into injury crisis concerning the bowling resources as seen before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, where Shaheen had to be closely looked after and ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, where the team didn\u2019t have the services of Naseem Shah.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Shaheen said that it was an \u201cabsolute honour\u201d to lead the Green Shirts and he would always cherish the memories and the opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a team player, it is my duty to back our captain, Babar Azam. I have played under his captaincy and have nothing but respect for him. I will try to help him on and off the field. We are all one. Our aim is the same, to help Pakistan become the best team in the world,\u201d he said, adding that Babar was well-equipped to lead the team and his appointment \u201creflects PCB\u2019s confidence in his ability to inspire and unite the team towards success\u201d.<\/p>\n For his part, Babar said: \u201cIt was a pleasure to play under Shaheen\u2019s leadership in the recent T20I series. He is still young and is improving as a player and as a leader every day. As a captain, I have always valued his input and I will keep consulting him for important decisions going forward. We must take advantage of his strategic understanding of the game. Our joint aim is to make this team the best in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n The PCB concluded that it was grateful to Shaheen for his contributions as captain and looked forward to his success on the field.<\/p>\n \u201cHe will be part of Pakistan\u2019s core leadership group. We give our unequivocal support to both Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi as they embark on their respective roles, aiming to make Pakistan a top team in the world of cricket,\u201d the PCB said.<\/p>\n Babar was first made<\/a> the T20 captain in 2019, before taking charge of the Test<\/a> and ODI<\/a> teams in 2020.<\/p>\n Babar stepped down<\/a> from the post in November last year, after Pakistan\u2019s dismal show in the Asia Cup<\/a> and the 50-over World Cup<\/a> last year. Shaheen had replaced him as the T20 captain and Shan Masood had assumed the role as the team\u2019s Test skipper.<\/p>\n