Is Babar Azam on the verge of losing his white-ball captaincy? | The Express Tribune

Babar Azam’s position as Pakistan’s white-ball captain is under scrutiny, with reports suggesting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may not appoint him for the upcoming Champions One Day Cup.

This has fueled speculation about his future as the leader of the limited-overs side.

According to sources, the PCB is considering naming a new white-ball captain ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Australia, and vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan is a strong candidate to take over.

Rizwan, who has been Babar’s deputy, could soon be promoted to the top spot.

White-ball head coach Gary Kirsten has reportedly been involved in discussions with board officials and Babar earlier this year regarding the captaincy.

Sources indicate that Rizwan’s potential appointment has been a topic of those conversations.

If Rizwan steps into the role, he could also be in contention for captaincy across all three formats in the future, marking a significant shift in Pakistan’s leadership structure.

Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie, last Thursday, confirmed that star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been dropped from the playing eleven against Bangladesh in the second Test match.

Pakistan conceded a massive 10-wicket loss against Bangladesh in the first match of the two-game Test series.

In the first Test match, Afridi picked up two wickets and conceded 96 runs at an average of 48.

Speaking ahead of the match, Gillespie said that the team management had a “good conversation” with the pacer. The head coach added that Afridi “understands and appreciates” the decision.

“Shaheen’s missed out on this game. We’ve had a good conversation with him, and he fully understands and appreciates the thinking behind it. Shaheen’s been given some feedback.

“He’s working on some things with his bowling to be as effective as he possibly can be. He’s working really well with Azhar Mahmood. We want to see Shaheen at his best because we’ve got a lot of cricket in all formats and Shaheen’s going to play a really big role in that,” Gillespie was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.

Babar Azam drops from ICC test Top 10

Pakistan’s seasoned batter Babar Azam has fallen out of the top 10 in the latest ICC Test Rankings, dropping three places to 12th after a disappointing two-match series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi .

This marks a notable shift for the 29-year-old, who was previously among the top contenders.

Babar, who hasn’t managed a half-century in his last 16 Test innings, currently holds 712 rating points.

His performance during the Bangladesh series has played a key role in his decline in the rankings..

Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan has become Pakistan’s highest-ranked Test batter, holding the 10th spot.

Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel also experienced a decline, dropping from 13th to 20th, while Salman Ali Agha made a significant leap, moving up nine spots to 31st.