A disappointing campaign comes to an end. There were plenty of positives but as far as negatives go, Babar Azam's captaincy was one of them. Predictably, there has been debate surrounding his future as captain of the side with three possible replacements.
Here are the options:
1) Muhammad Rizwan
Positives: All-format player, a keeper-batsman and they generally make good captains, very experienced, one of the first names on the team sheet, mentally tough, humble and down to earth, controversy-free, good record as captain in domestic cricket and well-respected by everyone around the world.
Negative(s): His age means that he might have seriously declined as a player by the 2027 WC and he might be viewed by some fans as being too similar to Babar Azam in his captaincy.
2) Shadab Khan
Positives: The current 'heir apparent' as the team's vice-captain, young player with plenty of experience, attacking mindset and personality might lead to a new "Pakistan Way", all-rounder which means he can lean on either of his skills to make an impact, Pakistan's best-ever fielder and would expect the entire team to lift their standards in the field and he will be at his peak by the next world cup.
Negatives: His place in the ODI side is far from certain given his recent performances, some people are put-off by his, at times, childish personality, being solely a LOs player means that Pakistan would have to have at least two captains and deal with the power struggle that inevitably ensues.
3) Shaheen Shah Afridi
Positives: The first name on any of Pakistan's team-sheet's, a wildly successful domestic captain with the Lahore Qalanders, a fast-bowling captain will be a big change for the team; perfect for the fans wanting to rebuild the entire team and mindset, being a bowler we can expect Afridi to be on the mark with his field-placements, powerful personality with big-name connections which will bring all the other players in line and he is the personification of "jazba" and "junoon".
Negatives: Probably too young and inexperienced to lead the national team just yet, being a fast-bowler means that he will be rested more than a batsman or spinner which may destabilize the team environment, captaincy might burden him and prove a hindrance to him becoming one of the GOAT fast bowlers.
4) Babar Azam
I don't need to elaborate on his negatives after they were laid bare in the last two tournaments so here are the positives:
He brings a sense of continuity which will prove to be a solace for the players during the ensuing sh*t-storm when they return back to Pakistan. With an ICC tournament every year until 2028, it will allow him to mature as captain and build upon what is already a pretty-good team.
My verdict:
I believe Rizwan is the best choice for Pakistan's ODI captain. He is a dependable player in great form and should in fact, be given the captaincy in every format. His main role in the team is as a wicket-keeper and I don't foresee his keeping deteriorating for the next several years. He has a proven track record on the domestic circuit and he has already assumed the role of "locker-room" leader moreso than Shadab or Shaheen.
Giving Rizwan the captaincy will free Babar Azam to pursue his destiny to become the greatest batsman of all-time and for Shaheen and Shadab to become excellent, GOAT-level players in their own right. All three of these players are likely to respect Rizwan more than each other and that is probably already clear to you if you've been paying attention.
