Babar Azam Reappointed Pakistan's White-Ball Captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday that Babar Azam has been named captain of the team playing white-ball cricket. Shaheen Shah Afridi's one-series tenure as T20I skipper comes to an end with this news.

Babar Azam has been named the Pakistan men's cricket team's white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain by Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB said on Twitter. This appointment comes after the selection committee's unanimous recommendation.

Babar had reluctantly resigned as captain, leading to Afridi's appointment, after the PCB had signaled in November that they wished to choose a replacement. At the time, Afridi was also the clear favorite to replace him as ODI captain, but those prospects soon faded.

Babar is unlikely to view this as anything other than retribution for the way he was removed from his position following Pakistan's lackluster World Cup performance. After Zaka Ashraf, the former chairman of the PCB, declared his decision to fire Babar final, Babar released his resignation statement. That the PCB found itself coming back to Babar just four months and one white-ball series later puts him in a strong position.

Though Babar did have some requirements before accepting the leadership again, it was recognized that the four recently appointed members of the selection panel were mostly in favor of his reinstatement. He requested a longer term in charge from the PCB in talks, demanding assurances that he wouldn't be fired on a whim after the T20I World Cup in June. Furthermore, ESPNcricinfo is aware that he has requested far more authority over selection processes than he had previously thought.

It's doubtful that the PCB's brief liaison with Afridi has improved his spirits. Since Naqvi declined to support him during a news conference in Lahore on Sunday, stating that a final decision will be taken following Pakistan's military training camp's conclusion, the writing had been written for him. But, it appears that after Afridi led Pakistan in one series and his PSL club, the Lahore Qalandars, faith in his leadership abilities has swiftly faded. Pakistan's T20I series loss against New Zealand was 4-1, and Qalandars, who finished last in the PSL rankings, only won once in ten games. Considering Shaheen Afridi is only twenty-three years old.

Next month, Babar will play a five-game T20I home series against New Zealand, which will be his first assignment after being reappointed.