Rizwan, Agha emerge as strong contenders to replace Babar

ISLAMABAD: Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha have emerged as front-runners to replace Babar Azam, who resigned from white-ball captaincy through a Tweet on (X) Wednesday morning.

Babar’s future as a captain was in doubt since the T20 World Cup loss where the Greenshirts failed to clear even the first hurdle. ‘The News’ has learnt that the ace batsman had communicated to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) a few weeks back that he would not be in a position to continue as the limited-overs captain but was asked to hold back the announcement.

On Wednesday morning, however, Babar came up with a Tweet, confirming his resignation which was later accepted by the PCB. “It has been an honour to lead Pakistan but it is time to step down and focus on my playing role. Captaincy has been a rewarding experience but it’s a significant workload. I want to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting and spend quality time with my family, which brings joy to me. By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth. I’m grateful for your unwavering support and belief in me. Your enthusiasm has meant the world to me.

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited to continue contributing to the team as a player. Thank you for your love and support,” Babar’s Tweet says. Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, who holds the power to decide on the new captain ahead of the coming One-Day series against Australia in November, is busy in the consultation process with the selectors and some of the senior members including Babar Azam. The new captain is expected to take Pakistan into the February’s Champions Trophy besides leading the team in all limited-overs cricket in the run up to the mega event.

Inside sources have told ‘The News’ that besides Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha has emerged as strong contenders to lead the team. “Majority of the senior players are in favour of handing the reins to Agha as they believe by appointing him captain there are far better chances of improving team’s unity and players showing support for each other which otherwise was missing from team’s performance in recent times.”

‘The News’ has also learnt that at this point of time Mohammad Rizwan is not willing to take over the captaincy. “It all depends on Rizwan’s decision to take over the captaincy or to decide otherwise. Agha could be a dark horse for the position.”

The decision is expected to be made after the three-match Test series against England. “You never know even about the Test captaincy which hangs by a thread. Sixth straight loss at the outset of his captaincy career could see Shan Masood either resigning or forcing the Board think-tank to decide on the team’s captaincy for the next two Test matches.”

Meanwhile, the PCB in a handout said that the national selection committee has been tasked with beginning the process of formulating future white-ball cricket strategies, including recommendation of a new captain. “Although the PCB had backed Babar as the white-ball captain, his decision to step down reflects his desire to focus more on making a greater impact as a player.

“This decision is a testament to his professionalism and commitment to Pakistan cricket. He believes that dedicating himself fully to his batting will enable him to play a more decisive role in the team’s success in the shorter formats.”