Ex-captain Misbah-ul-Haq recently shared his thoughts on the latest shift in Pakistan’s T20I captaincy, which saw Babar Azam taking over the reins from Shaheen Afridi.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday that Babar Azam would return as the captain for the white-ball team, just before the upcoming T20I home series against New Zealand.
Misbah-ul-Haq voiced his concerns regarding the manner in which the captaincy transition occurred, labelling it as a difficult process.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, the former captain and head coach stated, “The method of changing captains in Pakistan is quite troubling and it negatively impacts both the players and the team.”
He highlighted the problematic way Babar Azam was initially removed as captain, a fate that Shaheen Afridi later faced. “The way Babar was stripped of captaincy wasn’t right, and the same goes for Shaheen Afridi. They are both key players for us, and I wish the team all the best and hope for their successful performance.”
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Afridi had replaced Babar Azam as the T20I team captain following a disappointing performance at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. However, Afridi’s leadership stint was brief, marked by a 4-1 series loss to New Zealand, the only series he led.
Babar Azam is set to begin his second term as captain with a five-match T20I series at home against New Zealand, starting on April 18 in Rawalpindi.
