Pakistan’s terrible performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has forced them to make major changes to the squad, with the team and captain Babar Azam coming under extraordinary criticism in recent days.
The team’s failure has been criticised by fans, media and pundits, with even legendary Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram calling for major reforms within the team and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Bet Now: Bet on Sports and Get Sign-Up Rewards and Bonuses
The chaotic situation has led to the formation of a new selection committee, which includes head coach Gary Kirsten and former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie.
Another change, which has been speculated for some time, is Babar Azam being removed as T20I captaincy.
Read more: Who is the best player never to win a T20 World Cup?
Pakistan eliminated from ICC T20 World Cup 2024
Pakistan, led by captain Babar Azam, had a forgettable T20 World Cup performance. They lost their opening two matches against hosts USA and arch rivals India. Both losses came from winning positions for Pakistan, which caused huge backlash. Pakistan were eventually eliminated from the group stage of the tournament.
Babar’s reappointment as captain in place of Shaheen Afridi was already a controversial decision to begin with, and while unrest in the dressing room was palpable, the board maintained their stance of maintaining a healthy atmosphere in the dressing room.
The early exit from the World Cup further compounded the situation with Babar facing most of the criticism.
Read more: Will Jay Shah become the new ICC president?
Will Babar continue as captain in ODIs too?
According to reports, Babar will continue to lead the ODI team but a new captain will be selected to lead the team in the shortened format. Babar is expected to remain in the captaincy until the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled for February 2025.
Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy as the defending champions. They defeated India in the final of the 2017 tournament. Fakhar Zaman scored a magnificent hundred as Pakistan won the tournament comfortably by 180 runs.
Pakistan will have three captains across different formats and while Shan Masood has already cemented his place as Test captain, a new captain is set to be decided to lead the T20I team.
