PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi breaks silence on Babar Azam’s future as Pakistan’s captain, says ‘I have left these matters to…’ – thesportstak

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, clarified on Saturday that decisions regarding the men’s team captaincy will be made by the coaching staff and selectors. Recent reports had suggested that Babar Azam’s position as white-ball captain might be in jeopardy. Reports are doing rounds on social media that wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is a leading candidate to replace Babar Azam as the white-ball captain. The PCB is scheduled to hold a “Connection Camp” to discuss the future of the Pakistan team, including potential captaincy changes across all formats.

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While inspecting the construction project at Gaddafi Stadium, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced that the decision regarding the men’s team captaincy would be made by the coaching staff and selectors.

“I have left these matters to them. A workshop is scheduled for September 22, where everyone will be invited to give their suggestions, and decisions will be made afterwards,” Navi said, as quoted from Geo News. 

“I know that if there is any mistake, it falls on me. If the team does not perform well, if there is a selection mistake, or if the coach loses, it will all reflect on me,” he added.

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Pakistan will host the ICC Champions Trophy next year, but India’s participation is still uncertain. Naqvi confirmed that the PCB has been in communication with the Indian cricket board and stated:

“The Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan. We are in touch with the boards of the teams participating in the tournament.” 

Pakistan has faced significant challenges in recent years, both in terms of management and on-field performance. The team’s decline reached a new low after slipping to the eighth position in the ICC Test Rankings, their lowest since 1965.

Pakistan’s struggles were further highlighted by a humiliating 0-2 whitewash against Bangladesh in their home Test series. This marked the first time Pakistan had suffered defeat against Bangladesh in red-ball cricket.

As Pakistan looks to recover from these setbacks, they will have the opportunity to do so in their upcoming home Test series against England.

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