Captaincy is a difficult job and different people have different styles of leadership. Cricket captaincy isn’t only about tactical decisions; it’s also about how you lead your team, how you communicate with them, how you take decisions according to different situations, how you build team spirit and how you handle pressure in crunch situations. It takes time to adapt and develop the skills needed to be a successful captain.

Last week the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reappointed Babar Azam as the white ball captain, which meant Shaheen Shah Afridi’s stint as T20I captain came to an end.

The matter of removing Afridi is not as simple as it looks. After announcing the reappointment of Babar Azam, the PCB also published a statement on behalf of Shaheen Afridi: “It was an absolute honour to captain the Pakistan National Cricket Team. I will always cherish the memories and the opportunity. As a team player, it is my duty to back our captain, Babar Azam. I have played under his captaincy and have nothing but respect for him. I will try to help him on and off the field. We are all one. Our aim is the same, to help Pakistan become the best team in the world.”

But it is said that Shaheen Afridi was not happy with the PCB releasing the statement without first speaking to him. Shaheen came to know about his quotes through social media and he was surprised.

Shaheen was unhappy with the manner of his sacking and still feels his concerns have not been addressed appropriately. Shaheen will likely miss part of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand as per the PCB rotation policy to reduce the burden on leading fast bowlers.

According to reports, the board has clarified to Shaheen that they want to see a batsman lead the team in their white-ball affairs.

The board’s confidence in Shaheen’s leadership abilities was shattered when in his first assignment, Pakistan lost the T20I series against New Zealand 4-1.

Furthermore, in the Pakistan Super League ninth edition, Shaheen’s team Lahore Qalandars won just one game out of ten and finished bottom of the PSL table.

It was a unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee to appoint Babar Azam as white ball (ODI and T20I) captain of the national team.

Babar had stepped down as an all-format captain of the team after Pakistan’s poor ODI World Cup show.

According to reports, Babar accepted the captaincy again with some certain preconditions. In discussions with the PCB, he sought guarantees that he would not be sacked again on the performance of the upcoming T20I World Cup in June. He also demanded a long term with more control in the matters of selection.

The first assignment of Babar Azam will be the T20I home series against New Zealand who are arriving in Pakistan on April 14 to play 5 T20Is from April 18 to 27.

But the first important task for the skipper will be the T20 World Cup that is starting on June 2 in the USA and the West Indies. It was under Babar’s captaincy in 2022 that Pakistan reached the WC final.

According to the cricket board, Babar Azam, with his proven leadership skills and remarkable consistency, is well-equipped to lead the team.

His past captaincy record speaks for itself. Under his leadership, Pakistan beat India for the first time in a World Cup encounter back in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

In the 2022 T20 World Cup, he led the team to the final. This was Pakistan’s first final in a World Cup since 2009.

In T20Is, he has led the team 71 times, winning 42. This includes two final losses, in the Asia Cup and the World Cup, and a semi-final loss in the 2021 World Cup.

Babar Azam and Eoin Morgan have registered most wins in T20Is; a total of 42 wins. Babar has achieved this record in 71 matches.

In terms of percentage of wins, Babar is Pakistan’s 3rd most successful captain in T20 history, and the most successful in the ODI format.

In ODIs, he has led the team 21 times with 13 wins. Babar hit 8 ODI centuries while playing as Pakistan captain, which is most by any Pakistani skipper.

There is no doubt that Babar is a much better player than captain. Babar should learn how to change batting order and bowling plans according to the situation. He is still in the learning process of the art of leadership, especially in crunch moments.

Babar was appointed as Pakistan’s vice-captain in September 2019. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) initial idea was to groom him under former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed but after an abrupt end to Sarfaraz’s captaincy career, he was asked to lead the team in the white-ball format.

After the change of leadership in the national team, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also decided to appoint separate foreign coaches for red ball and white ball formats. Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillispie and ex-South African opening batsman Gary Kirsten as probable candidates for the respective positions.

Gary Kirsten coached Team India from 2008 to 2011 and won Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in 2010 and the ICC cricket World Cup in 2011 with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his captain.

Jason Gillispie has recently resigned from the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) where he led teams like West End Redbacks and Adelaide Strikers as head coach.

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