Babar Azam has been named ODI Captain after a long deliberation by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He was previously appointed T20I skipper only, and the decision was taken later on in the 50-over captaincy format, as the team did not intend to play any of the ODI. Babar replaces Sarfaraz Ahmed at the helm, expected to axle the squad overall formats after his bad condition with the bat.
Pakistan also lost 3-0 to Sri Lanka’s second side of the string in Pakistan to make matters worse. In the first weeks in April, the Men in Green will take on the one-off ODI against Bangladesh, which was scheduled to be Babar Azam’s captaincy of ODI. But, due to a Coronavirus pandemic, the final portion of the tour was suspended.
The PCB released the list of central players for the 2020-2021 season and announced the decision. The T20I captain was also extended to Babar, which is rare, though Azhar Ali was kept under the lead for the tests. In five Tests, he has led Pakistan to lose two and win as many, while the other one has ended in a draw.
Pakistan scheduled to play 9 Tests, 6 ODIs and 20 T20Is in 2020-21 season
Pakistan will be playing 9 Tests, 6 ODIs and 20 T20 Internationals in the 2020-21 season, according to the ICC Future Tour program. And for the time being, Babar Azam and Azhar Ali will lead the team in their respective formats. The head coach Misbah-ul-Haq congratulated them and said the PCB has taken the correct decision.
“I would like to congratulate Azhar Ali and Babar Azam for having extended their captaincy. It is the right choice, as their potential positions will require clarity and assurance. I am sure that they can now start looking ahead and prepare to develop sides that can perform at the expected level, “the PCB press release said.
