Babar's all-format captaincy in danger as PCB mulls wholesale

Najam Sethi-led PCB management committee is reportedly not satisfied with incumbent set-up.

Babar’s all-format captaincy in danger as PCB mulls wholesale review after PSL 8. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling conducting a detailed assessment of the team management and leadership roles that could restrict the current all-format skipper Babar Azam’s role in the team.

According to media reports, the Najam Sethi-led PCB management committee is reportedly not satisfied with the incumbent set-up and is considering a holistic assessment after the end of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) eighth season in March.

The Pakistan Test team did not win any game in the home Test season, losing three out of five Test matches and drawing two. The disappointing performance put Azam’s captaincy in the red-ball format in question.

PCB sources, aware of the development, also confirmed that changes in the team management and leadership are expected due to the team’s disappointing performance recently.

“The PCB is mulling to strip Babar Azam from all-format captaincy and appoint separate skippers for all the three formats.”

Shan Masood’s appointment as vice-captain in the ODI series against New Zealand in Shadab Khan’s absence was also part of the same long-term strategy and now different captains for red and white-ball formats are also a possibility, according to the same sources.

Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shan Masood might be in contention as the Test captain, the sources continued.

The board’s keenness to hire a foreign coach indicates that Head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and bowling coach Shaun Tait may also not be retained after their contract ends in February.

However, PCB’s efforts to bring in former head coach Mickey Arthur have recently failed due to his prior commitments with English county Derbyshire.