Following the announcement by star batter Babar Azam that he will be relinquishing his role as the white-ball captain of the Pakistan cricket team, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is expected to take over, according to a report by Geo News.
The report indicates that officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be meeting with Rizwan to discuss team selection. It is mentioned that Babar Azam was not pressured to resign by the higher-ups, as white-ball coach Gary Kirsten had expressed his desire for the 29-year-old to continue leading the side.
In his announcement, Babar stated that he made the decision to "prioritise" his performance. The right-handed batter emphasized that he wants to focus on his batting, enjoy the game, and spend more time with his family, which brings him happiness. By stepping down, he aims to gain clarity and devote more energy to his game and personal development.
Babar's tenure as captain, which began in 2019, has not seen Pakistan win any major tournaments. Last year, under his leadership, the team was eliminated from the Asia Cup during the Super 4 stage after a two-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in Colombo. A few months later, Pakistan failed to advance to the knockout stage of the ODI World Cup in India.
After the World Cup, Babar resigned from the captaincy in all formats. Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as the T20I captain but was removed after a 4-1 series loss to New Zealand. Babar was then reinstated as the white-ball captain, while Shan Masood remained the Test captain.
