Kamran Akmal Urges PCB to Keep Babar Azam as Captain, Questions Timing of Change
Former cricketer Kamran Akmal has advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to avoid making captaincy changes and focus on getting the basics right. Reports suggest that Mohammad Rizwan might replace Babar Azam as the white-ball captain. Akmal questioned the timing of this potential change, especially with Pakistan set to host the ICC Champions Trophy next year. He emphasized that changing captains won’t improve performance unless the team’s fundamentals are addressed.
Background
Last week, reports emerged that Babar Azam could lose his white-ball captaincy, with Mohammad Rizwan being a top contender to replace him. Akmal questioned why the change is being considered now, rather than after Pakistan’s underwhelming performances in the Asia Cup, ODI World Cup, and T20 World Cup.
Akmal’s Concerns
Akmal voiced his concerns, stating, “Why they wanted to bring a change now if they did not do that after losing the Asia Cup, ODI World Cup, and T20 World Cup? What difference does it make [by the way].” He also questioned whether a new captain would bring star players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, or Mitchell Starc into the team to boost its performance.
Recent Performances
Under Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan had a disappointing run in recent tournaments. They crashed out of the Asia Cup in the Super 4 stage, failed to reach the knockout stage of the ODI World Cup, and had a poor showing in the T20 World Cup, losing their maiden T20I clash against the USA.
Future Prospects
Akmal suggested that everyone, including the captain, coach, and selectors, should set their direction right and reform their thinking. He emphasized that getting the basics right is crucial to avoid future blunders.
PCB’s Strategic Move
Babar Azam had stepped back from captaincy after Pakistan’s group stage exit in last year’s ODI World Cup but was reinstated as the white-ball captain before the T20 World Cup. PCB described this as a “strategic move.”
Doubts Revealed
Kamran Akmal -: Kamran Akmal is a former Pakistani cricketer who played as a wicketkeeper and batsman for the national team.
PCB -: PCB stands for Pakistan Cricket Board, which is the organization responsible for governing cricket in Pakistan.
Babar Azam -: Babar Azam is a famous Pakistani cricketer who is currently the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team in all formats.
Mohammad Rizwan -: Mohammad Rizwan is another well-known Pakistani cricketer who plays as a wicketkeeper and batsman. He is being considered to replace Babar Azam as the captain for white-ball cricket.
white-ball captain -: White-ball captain refers to the captain of the cricket team for matches played with a white ball, which includes One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) matches.
ICC Champions Trophy -: The ICC Champions Trophy is a major international cricket tournament organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), featuring the top cricket teams from around the world.
