Is Babar Azam Going The Virat Kohli Way?

The situation developing with Babar in Pakistan is very similar to what happened with Virat Kohli in India. Amid his poor form and some disappointing results, questions were being raised about his captaincy across the three formats of the game...

- Renin Wilben

As per some news reports emerging from Pakistan, the team’s captaincy arrangement is set to undergo a major overhaul. Going forward, the team could have three separate captains for each game’s format. Apparently, Babar Azam is likely to retain T20 leadership but could lose the post in the other two formats. On the other hand, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who recently made a successful comeback to Pakistan’s Test playing XI after four years, could be given charge of the red-ball team. Also, Shan Masood could be named ODI captain, although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has clarified that he needs to improve his batting. It doesn’t end there; Shan was recently named vice-captain for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. According to reports, Babar and some of the team’s senior players are unhappy with the decision. Some reports quoted sources claiming that Babar was not consulted regarding Shan’s appointment, but the opinion of Mickey Arthur, who has not even been appointed as a coach yet, was sought. Arthur believes that Shan could be a good future captain for Pakistan. However, in a bizarre turn of events, it has now been revealed that Arthur has turned down the offer to become the new head coach of the Pakistan men’s team.