Babar Azam’s Future in Pakistan Cricket
Basit Ali Supports Babar’s Return
Former cricketer Basit Ali has expressed his support for Babar Azam’s return to the Pakistan cricket team after being dropped for the second and third home Tests against England. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made changes to the selection committee following Pakistan’s significant loss in the first Test. Babar, along with Sarfraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah, was excluded from the squad.
Reasons for Babar’s Exclusion
Babar’s exclusion surprised many, but some experts anticipated it due to his recent performance, having not scored a fifty in the last 18 Test innings. Kamran Ghulam, who replaced Babar, impressed with a century on his Test debut, intensifying discussions about Babar’s return.
Basit Ali’s Confidence in Babar
Basit Ali believes Babar will return to the team after the two Tests, stating, “He still has a place in the team. He will return to the team after two Test matches.”
White-Ball Captaincy Changes
Aside from Babar’s exclusion, the PCB faces the task of appointing a new white-ball captain. Basit Ali suggests Mohammad Rizwan or Salman Agha as potential candidates. Babar stepped down from captaincy to focus on his performance as a player. His leadership saw Pakistan reach the T20 World Cup semi-finals and final in 2021 and 2022, but recent performances have been disappointing.
Babar’s Captaincy Journey
Babar’s first captaincy stint began in 2019, leading to significant achievements. However, Pakistan’s performance declined, leading to his decision to step down, with Shaheen Shah Afridi taking over. Babar was reinstated as captain before the T20 World Cup 2024, but after poor results, he decided to relinquish the role again.
Doubts Revealed
Babar Azam -: Babar Azam is a famous cricketer from Pakistan. He is known for being a very talented batsman and has played for the Pakistan national cricket team.
Basit Ali -: Basit Ali is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in the 1990s. He is now known for his opinions and support for current players like Babar Azam.
PCB -: PCB stands for Pakistan Cricket Board. It is the organization responsible for managing cricket in Pakistan, including selecting players for the national team.
Selection Committee -: The selection committee is a group of people in the PCB who decide which players will be part of the national cricket team. They choose players based on their performance and potential.
White-ball captain -: In cricket, a white-ball captain is the leader of the team in limited-overs formats like One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) matches. These matches use a white cricket ball.
Mohammad Rizwan -: Mohammad Rizwan is a Pakistani cricketer known for his skills as a wicketkeeper and batsman. He is considered a potential candidate for the white-ball captaincy.
Salman Agha -: Salman Agha is another Pakistani cricketer who might be considered for the role of white-ball captain. He is known for his all-round abilities in cricket.
