Senior Pakistan Cricket Board selector Aaqib Javed has held former Test captain Shan Masood and the team management responsible for the side’s recurring leadership and game-management issues, stating that these concerns led to the decision to reinstate Babar Azam as captain in the longest format.
The former Pakistan fast bowler clarified that the change in captaincy was not driven by individual performances.
“The reason for bringing back Babar was that we noted that wherever we played… be it in Australia, South Africa, the West Indies or Bangladesh… we couldn’t dismiss the lower-order batters, even in different conditions with different bowlers, and this, to us, pointed towards issues in leadership and game management,” Aaqib said in a PCB podcast.
Aaqib, who also serves as the PCB’s director of high performance, believes Babar is the ideal candidate to provide long-term stability as Pakistan gear up for challenging Test tours of the West Indies and England.
The former Test pacer added that the board is committed to backing Babar as part of a long-term plan and that he will not be judged solely on results over the next two to three years.
Aaqib said Babar possesses the cricketing maturity and experience required to lead effectively and remains a key figure in the side.
“We plan to give him a two- to three-year run as captain. Every captain brings a fresh mindset, and we expect him to inspire the team through his own performances.”
Babar, who stepped down as Test captain in 2023 after being informed he would no longer lead in the white-ball formats, previously captained Pakistan in 20 Tests between 2020 and 2023, registering 10 wins, six losses and four draws.
Shan Masood’s stint as captain proved difficult, with Pakistan losing 12 of the 16 Tests under his leadership despite a promising start in Australia during the winter of 2023, where they had opportunities to win two matches.
Pakistan are scheduled to depart for the West Indies on July 13, where they will play a four-day warm-up match from July 18, followed by a two-Test series in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to 29 and August 2 to 6.
After the Caribbean tour, Pakistan will travel to England for a three-match Test series, with the opening Test set to be played at Headingley in Leeds from August 19 to 23.
(With PTI Inputs)
