PCB set to reappoint Babar Azam as captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024

[Devadwal]

What a circus become PCB . They first brought back Imad and Aamir from retirement to play again for Pakistan now after few months they bring back babar as an captain.
Right move was to make Rizwan captain for all formats but PCB is run by Incompetent people's .

 

[Mamoon]

Amir has nothing left to prove as his few performances are bigger than Babars entire career so far.

Imad will bowl economically at this T20 World Cup to cement his worth as a bowler.

The real pressure is on Babar.

He has to perform in batting to prove that he is not an average player who feasts on Junior Dalas and Richard Ngaravas and can actually make an impact against grade A bowlers.

He might have to captain again and prove that his captaincy has improved over the last 4 years and that his "Saim conjuring trick" was not just "a parlor trick" but was the real use of brain cells.

The way I see it, Amir and Imad have already established their legacy.

Babar is set to lose everything if he flops as captain and batsmen in the coming World Cup so good luck to your hero.

Surely this must be a joke. What legacy does Imad have? What he has done in his career to have a legacy?

Year 2070. Your average Pakistani fan would know who Babar was, might know who Amir was too, but they wouldn’t have a clue about Imad who will just be a name on the scorecard just like a few random names on the 60s and 70s scorecards that people don’t recognize today.

 

[mominsaigol]

@mominsaigol

The number of times you have quoted and mentioned me in the last few mins shows how rattled you are.

Also - Nawaz is unlikely to play. He will be replaced by a specialist spinner like Abrar which is the right decision any way.

The likes of Nawaz and Imad should not be keeping specialist spinners out of the team.

As far as Shadab is concerned, I don’t like his batting and bowling but you have to admit that his fielding is top notch albeit a bit OTT at times.

Those 4 catches vs Zalmi won Islamabad the game. No other filter in Pakistan holds onto all those four catches. At least two of them were serious grabs.

Shadab offers 100x more than Imad with his fielding and Imad offers very little over him, if anything, in other facets.

Shadab + a specialist spinner is the way forward. Not Shadab + Imad or Imad + a specialist spinner.

So no, it is not a lose-lose situation for everyone. Only for Amir, Imad and their supporters.

I'm asking you a simple question that you have not answered.

You do not like Amir and imad and have made it clear that if you were a fantasy chairman they wouldn't be in your team.

You believe Babar is an improved captain and shpuld be captain and be given full control over his team.

So the question is, Do you want Babar and his team to win the cup with the squad Bobby selected? Or give a fight? What will be your response if Bobby gets butchered again like he did in 2023?

If that happens that'll just put an end to his whole he's a world class batsmen and an improved captain lol.

What exactly do you hope for Pakistan to achieve in this cup?

 

[Mamoon]

What a circus become PCB . They first brought back Imad and Aamir from retirement to play again for Pakistan now after few months they bring back babar as an captain.
Right move was to make Rizwan captain for all formats but PCB is run by Incompetent people's .

Rizwan bottled three finals back of back. His mentality is questionable.

However, that is not reason why PCB have completely sidelined him as a potential leader.

We will find out the reality behind Rizwan’s fall in the pecking order soon.

 

[daytrader]

Bro may I ask you something? Like genuinely?

Based of your above comments you claimed that PCB is pretty much a defunct board, and that Australians, England, India etc just have more players and a more competent board to select players like maxwell and Warner, 2 players that are well beyond every caliber imaginable compared to Pakistani batsmen and all rounders.

And that's why you're happy to settle with babar and rizwan.

So what are you even saying? That those boards will forever be above us and Pakistan shouldn't even compete? And be happy to settle with mediocrity and get butchered in cups?

I really don't get what your viewpoint or Mamoon's or even Major's viewpoint is.

If sarfraz wins a cup it's a fluke, if misbah or babar flunk a world cup, it's because those guys were either playing with a nothing team or the other teams were just too strong?

The arguments aren't consistent.

I think you have me confused with some other posters as I haven't made the arguments you're claiming.

A cricket board's job is not only to select players but also groom them. We lack this quality because we keep changing strategies based on the personal whim of a chairman, selector, coach etc. We do not have stability so we can never be as good as ACB or BCCI. Warner and Maxwell weren't born great, they were developed into great players. The only way we would get players of that calibre is if by some miracle they as individuals come through organically. A case in point is Razzaq vs Watson. Razzaq was much more talented but Watson achieved more. Same with Brett Lee vs Shoaib Akhtar. There's numerous examples if you compare players man to man in the same role/category. This is no fluke, it's simply due to them having better support structures and professional boards.

Babar and Rizwan aren't mediocre by any means. Despite the lack of a professional board they still are world class. No one's settling here, they are simply our best and it would be unfair to discard them for inferior options.

I have never termed the Champions trophy win as a fluke. We had divine help but it wasn't a fluke. We played like a champion team and credit goes not just to Sarfraz but all the boys. We haven't been able to replicate that because again the lack of a professional board couldn't keep players on track to grow further. Instead they let the win get to their head and players became too relaxed. My views on this have been very consistent so I'm not sure why you get confused.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Surely this must be a joke. What legacy does Imad have? What he has done in his career to have a legacy?

Year 2070. Your average Pakistani fan would know who Babar was, might know who Amir was too, but they wouldn’t have a clue about Imad who will just be a name on the scorecard just like a few random names on the 60s and 70s scorecards that people don’t recognize today.

Your valuation of Babar is way too much, sir.

Your prized steed wont win you any races so we dont need to wait till 2070 to see how this is going to turn out.

It ended in tears for Babar before and unless he drastically changes his approach and plays for the team, its going to end the same way.

Just to add, the good thing is, I can change my mind and admit I was wrong if Babar performs like a champion as captain, leader and batsmen in the upcoming World Cup as I have no ulterior motive to support him or criticize him.

But you would come up with a thousand excuses again if Imad performs and wins Pakistan a few matches because you base players on your personal likes and dislikes instead of their usefulness to the team.

 

[mominsaigol]

Your valuation of Babar is way too much, sir.

Your prized steed wont win you any races so we dont need to wait till 2070 to see how this is going to turn out.

It ended in tears for Babar before and unless he drastically changes his approach and plays for the team, its going to end the same way.

Just to add, the good thing is, I can change my mind and admit I was wrong if Babar performs like a champion as captain, leader and batsmen in the upcoming World Cup as I have no ulterior motive to support him or criticize him.

But you would come up with a thousand excuses again if Imad performs and wins Pakistan a few matches because you base players on your personal likes and dislikes instead of their usefulness to the team.

Hes going to swip swop in the cup lol, if we get humiliated he'll say different time and place.

 

[mominsaigol]

I think you have me confused with some other posters as I haven't made the arguments you're claiming.

A cricket board's job is not only to select players but also groom them. We lack this quality because we keep changing strategies based on the personal whim of a chairman, selector, coach etc. We do not have stability so we can never be as good as ACB or BCCI. Warner and Maxwell weren't born great, they were developed into great players. The only way we would get players of that calibre is if by some miracle they as individuals come through organically. A case in point is Razzaq vs Watson. Razzaq was much more talented but Watson achieved more. Same with Brett Lee vs Shoaib Akhtar. There's numerous examples if you compare players man to man in the same role/category. This is no fluke, it's simply due to them having better support structures and professional boards.

Babar and Rizwan aren't mediocre by any means. Despite the lack of a professional board they still are world class. No one's settling here, they are simply our best and it would be unfair to discard them for inferior options.

I have never termed the Champions trophy win as a fluke. We had divine help but it wasn't a fluke. We played like a champion team and credit goes not just to Sarfraz but all the boys. We haven't been able to replicate that because again the lack of a professional board couldn't keep players on track to grow further. Instead they let the win get to their head and players became too relaxed. My views on this have been very consistent so I'm not sure why you get confused.

Oh I may have you confused for someone else. My bad, I forgot who made this comment then.

 

[RKhan_Cricket]

I think babar is just a scapegoat here if he is made captain again. Babar should not take this role back. This is not giving me any positive vibes TBH. It could be just me but yes, I am not sure if this is the right thing to do atm.

This

I hope this is not happening again. Babar should just stay away from these things. They will scapegoat him and he should be smart enough to let this captaincy stuff go.

 

[RKhan_Cricket]

If any player ever wants to destroy his career, he should just become captain of PCT.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Guys, no more personal chats here. Keep thread on topic.

 

[IMMY69]

Not just him, credit also goes to Shadab and Rizwan. Boys are not selfish or hungry for power. They didn't let their ethnicity get in the way.

Afridi senior though is a different story, always playing politics with our cricket team. He should not be allowed any where near Pakistan cricket

A special thanks to Shaheen for personally approaching Imad and getting him to come out retirement

 

[RKhan_Cricket]

Rizwan bottled three finals back of back. His mentality is questionable.

However, that is not reason why PCB have completely sidelined him as a potential leader.

We will find out the reality behind Rizwan’s fall in the pecking order soon.

Rizwan is not captaincy material.
Period
He is almost like Shaheen, he gets excited after every ball. Their strategies on a field are almost same, you should check psl 2023 and you will get it why their strategies on a field are almost same. Shaheen and rizwan should have never been considered. Shadab is the best option. Babar is also a decent option but it will effect him as it did previously so don't want him to accept this captaincy.

 

[Mamoon]

I'm asking you a simple question that you have not answered.

You do not like Amir and imad and have made it clear that if you were a fantasy chairman they wouldn't be in your team.

You believe Babar is an improved captain and shpuld be captain and be given full control over his team.

So the question is, Do you want Babar and his team to win the cup with the squad Bobby selected? Or give a fight? What will be your response if Bobby gets butchered again like he did in 2023?

If that happens that'll just put an end to his whole he's a world class batsmen and an improved captain lol.

What exactly do you hope for Pakistan to achieve in this cup?

I liked what I saw from Babar in the PSL. I admired some of the sophistication of his thinking and decision-making.

I think he did really well with his limited resources and if it was someone else, he would have garnered more praise for his captaincy than Babar actually did.

I saw someone who needed a little break from captaincy to reflect back on his mistakes during his previous reign. He was under a lot of pressure by the end of his captaincy stint and it impacted his batting as well.

That pressure was alleviated after he was replaced as Shaheen, but now he is ready to be go again.

With regards to my expectations at the World Cup, Babar must score runs and most not make glaring errors in terms of tactics and team selection.

If he does the basics right and Pakistan don’t win the World Cup which I don’t expect them to either, that is fine. At times, you do the right things but someone else does it better than you and ends up winning. I don’t have a problem with that.

I don’t have a problem with Pakistan losing a semifinal or final after putting in a proper shift.

 

[160KPH]

InshaAllah, the rumours will all be false and Shaheen will remain captain. I can understand why certain media cells would want to push this agenda of spreading rumours because they need clarity for how they want to direct themselves running into the T20 World Cup. I am going to stick my neck out and say that I firmly believe Shaheen will remain captain

So apparently,

Babar did receive a phone call from the PCB last night, but it wasn’t to discuss captaincy…rather it was simply to ask when will he be reporting to the Kukul camp

*Babar sees phone ringing, PCB official’s name on call*

Puts on his sunglasses with a smile of ecstasy. Picks up the call


Babar: Yes sir, when do I submit the 15 names for the squad for NZ and World Cup?”

PCB official: “Hain??? Bruv where are you? Kukul is beginning tomorrow!”



-Ik damm waqt badl diye jazbaat badl diye

Pcb: So babar we've decided you need to lead the boys again.

Babar: I knew it would come to this eventually, Alright fine, I accept but I will gladly open and leas from the front.

Pcb: Good see you tmr.

Babar: But the NZ series is a month away?

Pcb: Bro the camp is tmr? You gotta train and get rid of that dad bod? We need you lead from the front, you'll be the first one to do push ups, sits ups, Squats and the rest will follow.

Babar: Hangs up the call.

these jokes are even funnier now

 

[160KPH]

Although the meltdown of the Imad Wasim and Amir fans will be very funny to watch, I still feel that the PCB handled this badly.

Why drop Babar in the first place if you were going to bring him back as captain after just 1 series? Instead of Shaheen, Shadab or Rizwan should have been made captain because Shaheen’s workload needs to be managed properly and we do not need him playing every bilateral T20 series since his place in the side is already secured.

 

[Rana]

these jokes are even funnier now

The joke is Babar becoming captain again

Will be a great run in to the World Cup now. No more toxic Babar fans making life hell for others now that they have supposedly got what they want.

This is what you wanted, so be ready for the wrath that comes with it.

 

[160KPH]

I liked what I saw from Babar in the PSL. I admired some of the sophistication of his thinking and decision-making.

I think he did really well with his limited resources and if it was someone else, he would have garnered more praise for his captaincy than Babar actually did.

I saw someone who needed a little break from captaincy to reflect back on his mistakes during his previous reign. He was under a lot of pressure by the end of his captaincy stint and it impacted his batting as well.

That pressure was alleviated after he was replaced as Shaheen, but now he is ready to be go again.

With regards to my expectations at the World Cup, Babar must score runs and most not make glaring errors in terms of tactics and team selection.

If he does the basics right and Pakistan don’t win the World Cup which I don’t expect them to either, that is fine. At times, you do the right things but someone else does it better than you and ends up winning. I don’t have a problem with that.

I don’t have a problem with Pakistan losing a semifinal or final after putting in a proper shift.

Yeah his captaincy was clearly improved in this PSL, he managed extremely limited bowling resources very well.

Although, I believe Rizwan has displayed better captaincy over the past few seasons including with really intelligent bowling and fielding changes this season.

 

[160KPH]

The joke is Babar becoming captain again

Will be a great run in to the World Cup now. No more toxic Babar fans making life hell for others now that they have supposedly got what they want.

This is what you wanted, so be ready for the wrath that comes with it.

You were celebrating the genius of Naqvi’s PCB leadership and criticized everyone who questioned any of his decisions as disliking him only because they were Imran Khan supporters.

Also this is not what I wanted as I’ve said many times. Either Babar should not have been removed in the first place or Shaheen should have got a run through at least the T20 WC. But, regardless, I will be laughing some of the meltdowns that Babar’s return will cause

 

[Rana]

You were celebrating the genius of Naqvi’s PCB leadership and criticized everyone who questioned any of his decisions as disliking him only because they were Imran Khan supporters.

Also this is not what I wanted as I’ve said many times. Either Babar should not have been removed in the first place or Shaheen should have got a run through at least the T20 WC. But, regardless, I will be laughing some of the meltdowns that Babar’s return will cause

Naqvi is symbolic to Ponteus Pilate in this matter.

 

[Statpadder Inc]

. A case in point is Razzaq vs Watson. Razzaq was much more talented but Watson achieved more. Same with Brett Lee vs Shoaib Akhtar.

How was razzaq more talented than watson, what quantifiable metric did you use to gauge their talent. Hard work, temperament, fitness and having bottle matters and no board can help you with that.

Babar and Rizwan aren't mediocre by any means. Despite the lack of a professional board they still are world class

Rizwan isn't mediocre but he isn't world class either, babar is though

 

[MenInG]

As a Babar fan, I pray and hope he doesn't accept captaincy.

I like Babar the batter more than Babar the captain.

 

[pakistani pride]

Did Captain fantastic already join the camp and what was his time during the 2Km run?

 

[Rana]

Babar fans

 

[pakistani pride]

How was razzaq more talented than watson, what quantifiable metric did you use to gauge their talent. Hard work, temperament, fitness and having bottle matters and no board can help you with that.



Rizwan isn't mediocre but he isn't world class either, babar is though

Which WC innings in World cups / big TEST matches has Babar played?
Can you name a few?

 

[Pakpak]

Here is my analysis of these rumors:

1) They are fake first of all. No one from PCB has approached Babar for captaincy. All credible sources from PCB have pointed out to it.

2) This babar captaincy propaganda has been in play since the end of PSL, and reached its peak this week. Let me remind you of the agency Babar is contracted with. They have a paid army of propagandists run through multiple whatsapp channels for 200 rupees per tweet allegedly. They also have some journalists on their payroll. If you observe the twitter space and the accounts spreading these news, you will know what i am talking about. I have been observing such paid accounts and journalists for a while.

3) This rumour has been spread for two reasons.


Firstly, PCB has been taking very competent steps of late. The group feels threatened as public has been appreciating their steps so far. This rumour makes people question PCB’s sanity. Call them a clown board. Basically a trap to tarnish the competence of the new setup.

Secondly, another angle is Babar’s PR will say that Babar refused to take captaincy. To showcase him as a saviour, and a bechara/mazloom.

Will be hilarious when this is proven wrong which looks like it is about to

 

[MenInG]

Will be hilarious when this is proven wrong which looks like it is about to

At this point, ANYONE's guess is the right one!

 

[160KPH]

Which WC innings in World cups / big TEST matches has Babar played?
Can you name a few?

Babar Azam’s 196 against Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Green, and Swepson to save us from certain defeat.

In the match he broke these records:
- Highest 4th innings score for a captain.
- Highest 4th innings score for any Pakistani player.
- Most balls consumed by a Pakistani batsmen in the 4th innings.

Wisden ranked it is one of the best 4th inning performances of the century.

Wisden ranks Babar Azam's 196 among the best 4th innings efforts this century

Says he "piled misery" on Australia and "played an all-time great knock" to raise the team's hopes of an unlikely win.

www.dawn.com

Babar Azam’s 119 in the first innings on a spinning track at Galle was also great. The team was at 85/7 and he carried us. The rest of the team scored only 99 while Babar scored 119.

His 90* against Southee, Wagner, Henry, and Santner was also brilliant. Pakistan was at 51/5 before he rescued the innings.

Many other innings as well like 127* not out against New Zealand. 71 in South Africa when he destroyed Steyn. 109 at the Gabba against an incredible attack in 2019.

He’s played many great Test innings where he single handedly carried our batting line up.

 

[shaz619]

It’s Ramadan, we’re really testing the bacha party with these headlines. They’ve been thrown off the top of Hell in a Cell a good few times now, somebody stop the damn burials, they are broken in half.

 

[shaz619]

Babar Azam’s 196 against Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Green, and Swepson to save us from certain defeat.

In the match he broke these records:
- Highest 4th innings score for a captain.
- Highest 4th innings score for any Pakistani player.
- Most balls consumed by a Pakistani batsmen in the 4th innings.

Wisden ranked it is one of the best 4th inning performances of the century.

Wisden ranks Babar Azam's 196 among the best 4th innings efforts this century

Says he "piled misery" on Australia and "played an all-time great knock" to raise the team's hopes of an unlikely win.

www.dawn.com

Babar Azam’s 119 in the first innings on a spinning track at Galle was also great. The team was at 85/7 and he carried us. The rest of the team scored only 99 while Babar scored 119.

His 90* against Southee, Wagner, Henry, and Santner was also brilliant. Pakistan was at 51/5 before he rescued the innings.

Many other innings as well like 127* not out against New Zealand. 71 in South Africa when he destroyed Steyn. 109 at the Gabba against an incredible attack in 2019.

He’s played many great Test innings where he single handedly carried our batting line up.

That was a special knock, but honestly Younis Khan could produce such innings and even better in the 4th innings at like 30-40% health; a personified great, Babar will do well to match half his impactful output in Tests

 

[160KPH]

That was a special knock, but honestly Younis Khan could produce such innings and even better in the 4th innings at like 30-40% health; a personified great, Babar will do well to match half his output in Tests

Younis Khan is one of the best Pakistani Test batsmen ever though. It’s a high standard.

 

[shaz619]

Younis Khan is one of the best Pakistani Test batsmen ever though. It’s a high standard.

Yes, he doesn’t get mentioned a lot but his exploits are still fresh in the mind for me hence the obvious comparison because Babar is meant to be his successor and potentially Pak’s best ever

 

[160KPH]

Yes, he doesn’t get mentioned a lot but his exploits are still fresh in the mind for me hence the obvious comparison because Babar is meant to be his successor and potentially Pak’s best ever

Yeah I would say Younis Khan has currently a much better Test record. Babar probably has about 5 or so years left of prime batting so we’ll see if he can ever catch up.

I do think Younis Khan was a much more limited ODI bat though. Averaged 31 @ 75 SR despite having some memorable knocks.

 

[pakistani pride]

Babar Azam’s 196 against Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Green, and Swepson to save us from certain defeat.

In the match he broke these records:
- Highest 4th innings score for a captain.
- Highest 4th innings score for any Pakistani player.
- Most balls consumed by a Pakistani batsmen in the 4th innings.

Wisden ranked it is one of the best 4th inning performances of the century.

Wisden ranks Babar Azam's 196 among the best 4th innings efforts this century

Says he "piled misery" on Australia and "played an all-time great knock" to raise the team's hopes of an unlikely win.

www.dawn.com

Babar Azam’s 119 in the first innings on a spinning track at Galle was also great. The team was at 85/7 and he carried us. The rest of the team scored only 99 while Babar scored 119.

His 90* against Southee, Wagner, Henry, and Santner was also brilliant. Pakistan was at 51/5 before he rescued the innings.

Many other innings as well like 127* not out against New Zealand. 71 in South Africa when he destroyed Steyn. 109 at the Gabba against an incredible attack in 2019.

He’s played many great Test innings where he single handedly carried our batting line up.

So one of his best knocks in TEST MATCHES is where he saved us from a certain defeat at HOME? He has flopped big time in TEST matches when he actually needed to perform. In ICC events we keep hearing that knock vs NZ in a GROUP STAGE game where Haris actually carried the innings. Fact is Babar is always found wanting when the stakes are high, you just need to look at his record in ICC WT20s (the back to back ones) and his pathetic performance in the ODI WC.

 

[msb314]

If you're a true cricket fan, your goal needs to be to win cups for the country and not some meaningless no 1 rank which is a joke nowadays.

Babar as a captain has never won anything, not even his local psl cups as captain.

So no clue why loyal pakistani fans would even think about reappointing someone just because of their childish mentality of Haha we can spite imad and Amir again, Woo hoo.

Focus on the cup, and not 2 cricketers you hate.

I would agree with you but T20 captaincy is a totally different ballgame..

Since 2010 we had Afridi, Misbah, MoHafeez, Afridi again, Sarfraz, Babar, SSA and now potentially Babar again lol

 

[msb314]

Rizwan bottled three finals back of back. His mentality is questionable.

However, that is not reason why PCB have completely sidelined him as a potential leader.

We will find out the reality behind Rizwan’s fall in the pecking order soon.

Care to elaborate - what is going on with Rizwan?

I am assuming it is because he is too conservative (at least according to reports..)

 

[zahid01]

Care to elaborate - what is going on with Rizwan?

I am assuming it is because he is too conservative (at least according to reports..)

If babar has any self-respect he should decline the offer of captaincy after how they removed him not a fan of SSA as captain but know that you have made him take captaincy of the t20 side stick with him it would be plain stupidity to remove him after one series for god sake think before making decisions this is not a merry-go-round circus.

 

[Rana]

*Credible source*

Nothing final. Naqvi has apparently shut down the suggestion proposed to him about who should be captain. He wants a captain that plays for the country first and not himself.

Not sure what this means. By the sounds of it, he isn’t satisfied with the Babar proposal.

 

[msb314]

Removing SSA is captain is a bad mistake - despite multiple posts by myself comparing about how mediocre he is.. For the very reason that he needs time to build a team, strategy and vision for our T20 squad. It cannot happen in one series and the flat pitches of PSL are no indication of how he will do in USA / Carribean come this summer. It sends a terrible message and is very demoralizing for anyone to be frank.

Back to Babar now he is not an astute tactician as captain but seems to be someone who everyone respects and looks up to.. now of course the elephant in the room is that we still do not have a head coach! lol So basically everything has become free for all with unchecked player power.. I get some people don’t like our fascination with Australians but we really do need an authoritarian foreign head coach that can dictate strategy and reason before we play.. Any captain can and should be able to learn from that experience but as stated above - Shaheen should get this experience before anyone else does.

Now on the topic of Imad and Amir. I personally think Imad will do well on slower pitches but will be a liability on a flat deck. His batting shows that he can bide his time and accelerate when needed.. His bowling seems to eh content on containing runs which is not a bad thing but I don’t think this works against the good teams.. Case in point is the 2022 WorldT20 game against India . We had them at 41/4 after 10 overs but then Babar decided he would contain runs and let India play out the 20 overs instead of bowling them out. It backfired spectacularly and we lose on the last bowl with Kohli still at the crease. Both Imad and Amir and even Naseem like to contain runs and I don’t think this is a good strategy tbh - it will never work on flat wickets. Only SSA is a wicket taker and that too only in helpful conditions with the new ball.

So not sure how much Imad / Amir will have an impact but both need to target wickets (instead of containing runs) if we are to have a successful 2024 WorldT20 campaign.. They are likely to succeed more on the slower drier wickets of WI rather than the flat decks of USA so I think we’ll see their value later on if we progress out of the group stages

 

[msb314]

If babar has any self-respect he should decline the offer of captaincy after how they removed him not a fan of SSA as captain but know that you have made him take captaincy of the t20 side stick with him it would be plain stupidity to remove him after one series for god sake think before making decisions this is not a merry-go-round circus.

Okay but how is this related to my question?

 

[Rana]

*Credible source*

Nothing final. Naqvi has apparently shut down the suggestion proposed to him about who should be captain. He wants a captain that plays for the country first and not himself.

Not sure what this means. By the sounds of it, he isn’t satisfied with the Babar proposal.

@FearlessRoar @BouncerGuy @MenInG you guys can get this verified from the source you know who I usually refer to.

 

[mominsaigol]

I liked what I saw from Babar in the PSL. I admired some of the sophistication of his thinking and decision-making.

I think he did really well with his limited resources and if it was someone else, he would have garnered more praise for his captaincy than Babar actually did.

I saw someone who needed a little break from captaincy to reflect back on his mistakes during his previous reign. He was under a lot of pressure by the end of his captaincy stint and it impacted his batting as well.

That pressure was alleviated after he was replaced as Shaheen, but now he is ready to be go again.

With regards to my expectations at the World Cup, Babar must score runs and most not make glaring errors in terms of tactics and team selection.

If he does the basics right and Pakistan don’t win the World Cup which I don’t expect them to either, that is fine. At times, you do the right things but someone else does it better than you and ends up winning. I don’t have a problem with that.

I don’t have a problem with Pakistan losing a semifinal or final after putting in a proper shift.

Thanks, actually this is a pretty good post.

That's ironically all I want from Babar as well if he is to return as captain.

 

[Rana]

Thanks, actually this is a pretty good post.

That's ironically all I want from Babar as well if he is to return as captain.

Hold your horses mate

It seems as if Naqvi isn’t convinced

 

[Markhor]

It’s a shame that this thread is full of people taking cheap shots at each other instead of having a rational discussion because it is an interesting topic.. let me elaborate

Removing SSA is captain is a bad mistake - despite multiple posts by myself comparing about how mediocre he is.. For the very reason that he needs time to build a team, strategy and vision for our T20 squad. It cannot happen in one series and the flat pitches of PSL are no indication of how he will do in USA / Carribean come this summer. It sends a terrible message and is very demoralizing for anyone to be frank.

Back to Babar now he is not an astute tactician as captain but seems to be someone who everyone respects and looks up to.. now of course the elephant in the room is that we still do not have a head coach! lol So basically everything has become free for all with unchecked player power.. I get some people don’t like our fascination with Australians but we really do need an authoritarian foreign head coach that can dictate strategy and reason before we play.. Any captain can and should be able to learn from that experience but as stated above - Shaheen should get this experience before anyone else does.

Now on the topic of Imad and Amir. I personally think Imad will do well on slower pitches but will be a liability on a flat deck. His batting shows that he can bide his time and accelerate when needed.. His bowling seems to eh content on containing runs which is not a bad thing but I don’t think this works against the good teams.. Case in point is the 2022 WorldT20 game against India . We had them at 41/4 after 10 overs but then Babar decided he would contain runs and let India play out the 20 overs instead of bowling them out. It backfired spectacularly and we lose on the last bowl with Kohli still at the crease. Both Imad and Amir and even Naseem like to contain runs and I don’t think this is a good strategy tbh - it will never work on flat wickets. Only SSA is a wicket taker and that too only in helpful conditions with the new ball.

So not sure how much Imad / Amir will have an impact but both need to target wickets (instead of containing runs) if we are to have a successful 2024 WorldT20 campaign.. They are likely to succeed more on the slower drier wickets of WI rather than the flat decks of USA so I think we’ll see their value later on if we progress out of the group stages

Great post. Wherever people stand on Shaheen's appointment - to replace someone after one series is the height of stupidity. What's worse is replacing him with an ex-captain who already had a 4 year run.

If these rumours have any substance, PCB have learned nothing from the captaincy merrygoround of the 1990s and the associated factionalism and dressing room toxicity it produced.

 

[mominsaigol]

Although the meltdown of the Imad Wasim and Amir fans will be very funny to watch, I still feel that the PCB handled this badly.

Why drop Babar in the first place if you were going to bring him back as captain after just 1 series? Instead of Shaheen, Shadab or Rizwan should have been made captain because Shaheen’s workload needs to be managed properly and we do not need him playing every bilateral T20 series since his place in the side is already secured.

After @Mamoon Post on expectations as babar as captain I actually agree with him to some extent.

All we ask for is that Pakistan tries its best as a gelled team like it did during 1999 and even 2011 for that matter.

The only issue is that in 2023, We werent a gelled team and had conflict 24/7. And now with imad and Amir back, it's just gonna be extra work.

Australia won in 2023 despite not being the strongest primarily due to being a gelled team (and luck)

I'm cool with Pakistan not winning the Cup, but if babar is to lead again then his batting must be good, and so should his captaincy in regards to field decisions.

But

The one area I disagree with Mamoon on is that I don't think this will happen. I saw psl and Babar is the type to panick and shout and look clueless at times. And I don't think a few months off captaincy can change a person to become am IMPROVED CAPTAIN,.

Especially when I didn't see any difference in captaincy styles during PSL. But I'm willing to keep an open mind and be fair to babar.

But I will say, good luck on trying to gell a team with so much political warfare.

 

[mominsaigol]

Hold your horses mate

It seems as if Naqvi isn’t convinced

I don't want Babar as captain. Nor did I see any PSL improvement.

But if he is to become captain then all I can do is hope for the best, since I love Australian and Pakistani cricket.

My own brain still tells me it's gonna be a horror show if babar comes back lol.

 

[mominsaigol]

I would agree with you but T20 captaincy is a totally different ballgame..

Since 2010 we had Afridi, Misbah, MoHafeez, Afridi again, Sarfraz, Babar, SSA and now potentially Babar again lol

Our best t20 captain was YK despite he himself being useless in t20 lol.

And I'm not saying that because we won 2009. Afridi during 2010-2011 wasn't a bad captain either.

We did extremely well in 2010 and gave Australia a heart attack, we did way better against Australia then England, we'd probs have beaten England if Australia wasn't a factor.

2011 same story this time in odi, we did extremely well in the world cup, we lost once again because we faced the strongest team but we didn't do poorly by any means.

All forms of captaincy are different ball games, problem is babar is bad at all forms.

He wasn't a great test, odi or t20 captain

 

[mominsaigol]

Let me make ONE THING CLEAR TO EVERYONE.

if Babar is to return as captain, then its extremely unlikely to be a different story then what happened in 2023 wc.

I hope for everyone's sake I am wrong and proven wrong, but babar is not an astute tactician, nor does he know how to handle pressure situations and his tactic of playing the same winning 11 until it gets butchered isn't exactly a solid strategy.

Furthermore, Amir and imad returning will cause infinte more problems as neither of these 3 get along so expect animosity in the team.

Again I wish I end up being proven wrong, but I don't think Pakistan are making it past the group 8 stage.

 

[PakWC'11Champs]

I didn't think Babar is a bad captain, but he certainly isn't a great one. There was a possible situation of where he was developing into a better captain. If you look at his replacement SSA, it didn't look like an upgrade at all. In fact, a downgrade. That's the real issue here, the PCB is not sold on SSA.

Rizwan has a heavy voice, no matter what. Rizwan with Babar, probably holds the same voice and weight as if he were captain. Almost like co captains. I think there's a lot of respect there. Of course, Rizwan is probably angling for the captaincy himself.

 

[mominsaigol]

I didn't think Babar is a bad captain, but he certainly isn't a great one. There was a possible situation of where he was developing into a better captain. If you look at his replacement SSA, it didn't look like an upgrade at all. In fact, a downgrade. That's the real issue here, the PCB is not sold on SSA.

Rizwan has a heavy voice, no matter what. Rizwan with Babar, probably holds the same voice and weight as if he were captain. Almost like co captains. I think there's a lot of respect there. Of course, Rizwan is probably angling for the captaincy himself.

Rizwan isn't. Rizzu doesn't want the political heat that comes with it.

His category A contract is too important to him. Plus he's already in a high position thanks to Saya.

 

[MenInG]

@FearlessRoar @BouncerGuy @MenInG you guys can get this verified from the source you know who I usually refer to.

All rumours until confirmed by PCB

 

[cricketcricket79]

My neighborhood cricket league is more professional than PCB. Captaincy, retirements, selections of coaches, the head selectors all have become pawns in this charade. I feel sad for Pakistan fans and the game itself. Cricket needs a strong and professional run PCB.

 

[mominsaigol]

Ik I don't like rizwan but what I don't understand is, how on earth did pcb not appoint him captain?

He fits the classic PCB trend of giving your golden boy captaincy?

Shan and shaheen were kinda random in that regard.

 

[Rana]

Ik I don't like rizwan but what I don't understand is, how on earth did pcb not appoint him captain?

He fits the classic PCB trend of giving your golden boy captaincy?

Shan and shaheen were kinda random in that regard.

All will be clear soon.


There are so many twists in this saga. Once the final conclusion is officially drawn, I’ll try to make sense of it.

 

[160KPH]

Afridi set to lose T20I captaincy as PCB offers white-ball role to Babar

Babar, who hasn't accepted the offer yet, has asked the PCB to be appointed captain across all three formats if he is to consider a return

www.espncricinfo.com

Cricinfo now reporting it as well.

“Shaheen Shah Afridi's one-series stint as Pakistan T20I captain is set to come to an end, with Babar Azam offered the white-ball captaincy once more. The PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Babar earlier this week to make the offer.

Babar, for his part, has not yet accepted the offer. The decision to strip him of the armband in all formats following Pakistan's poor 2023 ODI World Cup campaign rankled him, and he has asked the PCB to be appointed captain across all three formats if he is to consider a return. While no ODI captain was ever officially appointed when Babar reluctantly stepped down, Shan Masood is the current Test captain, having led the side in a three-match series in Australia.”

Babar was offered white ball captaincy earlier this week by Naqvi, but he has not yet accepted. He would like to return to all 3 formats if he is to consider returning.

 

[PakHammer]

Cricinfo reporting that Babar is demanding a return to be an all format captain. Does he not realise that he was never a tactically asute captain? At least give the test captianship to somebody else. Although Shaan is struggling to be a consistent test batsmen, his tactics as captain were a breath of fresh air in Australia.

Selfish behavior by Babar, he should be appointed white ball captain only.

 

[Rana]

Cricinfo reporting that Babar is demanding a return to be an all format captain. Does he not realise that he was never a tactically asute captain? At least give the test captianship to somebody else. Although Shaan is struggling to be a consistent test batsmen, his tactics as captain were a breath of fresh air in Australia.

Selfish behavior by Babar, he should be appointed white ball captain only.

This is all horse…


Cricinfo parachuting on rumours spread by uninformed journalists. How could Naqvi have met Babar considering,

1. Babar returned to Pakistan a couple of nights ago,
2. Naqvi was in Peshawar at the time when Babar returned and was on his way to Kukul.

The report is not credible.

 

[Mamoon]

All will be clear soon.


There are so many twists in this saga. Once the final conclusion is officially drawn, I’ll try to make sense of it.

My friend, as I said earlier, you, @topspin, @mominsaigol, @YousafTheBeast @CerebralPatriot and others fully deserve this humiliation for peddling a toxic agenda.

Babar will be back as a white ball captain and he will eventually replace Mr. Mediocre as Test captain as well.

Embrace and make peace with this reality.

 

[160KPH]

This is all horse…


Cricinfo parachuting on rumours spread by uninformed journalists. How could Naqvi have met Babar considering,

1. Babar returned to Pakistan a couple of nights ago,
2. Naqvi was in Peshawar at the time when Babar returned and was on his way to Kukul.

The report is not credible.

Cricinfo is 1000x more reliable than the source that you said told you that Babar was not called for captaincy but rather to ask when he would attend the camp

 

[Rana]

Cricinfo is 1000x more reliable than the source that you said told you that Babar was not called for captaincy but rather to ask when he would attend the camp

That was true. That actually happene.

 

[offstump]

This is all horse…


Cricinfo parachuting on rumours spread by uninformed journalists. How could Naqvi have met Babar considering,

1. Babar returned to Pakistan a couple of nights ago,
2. Naqvi was in Peshawar at the time when Babar returned and was on his way to Kukul.

The report is not credible.

You do realize they could have met virtually right?

 

[160KPH]

Now let’s just wait and see if Babar is offered the Test captaincy and whether he will accept without being offered the Test captaincy.

 

[Mamoon]

Cricinfo reporting that Babar is demanding a return to be an all format captain. Does he not realise that he was never a tactically asute captain? At least give the test captianship to somebody else. Although Shaan is struggling to be a consistent test batsmen, his tactics as captain were a breath of fresh air in Australia.

Selfish behavior by Babar, he should be appointed white ball captain only.

This is correct and it is the right thing to do. Shan is the worst batsman to ever play for Pakistan and he doesn’t justify a place in the Pakistan A team let alone the Test team.

His “breath of fresh air” tactics produced the usual whitewash for Pakistan and letting Australia off the hook at 16/4 at the MCG was certainly not a “breath of fresh air” captaincy either.

Shan as captain is obviously not good enough to produce miracle wins. On top of that, he averages 28 after 62 innings and he is not going to get any better considering he is about to hit 35.

He has been at his peak over the last few years and he cannot average beyond 30 even in his peak.

It is utterly embarrassing to see him captain the Test and PCB must address this ASAP, and Babar is the only reasonable candidate at this point.

 

[Mamoon]

Now let’s just wait and see if Babar is offered the Test captaincy and whether he will accept without being offered the Test captaincy.

It will happen. Only question is when.

 

[Mamoon]

PCB must respect public sentiment and reinstate Babar as all-format captain.

Babar needs to break following Pakistani records as captain:

Most matches as captain and most wins as captain across formats. In addition to this, he will also be Pakistan’s top scorer ever across all formats with the most hundreds.

All of this is achievable in the next 7-8 years which will mean that Babar will retire as the most decorated and successful cricketer in Pakistan history.

PCB must be enable him to achieve this records and must make the right calls to facilitate this.

 

[mominsaigol]

My friend, as I said earlier, you, @topspin, @mominsaigol, @YousafTheBeast @CerebralPatriot and others fully deserve this humiliation for peddling a toxic agenda.

Babar will be back as a white ball captain and he will eventually replace Mr. Mediocre as Test captain as well.

Embrace and make peace with this reality.

The point wasn't ever babar vs imad (atleast not in my case), I made it clear I only wanted imad back to replace nawaz and I already said in the other post I wanted Ali, Naseem to be frontline since shaheen isn't going anywhere, so Amir can't replace him.

The whole imad vs babar thing you kept brining them in the same sentence lol.

Reason why I don't want Babar as a captain is because he hasn't won anything.

Reason why I want imad is because I'd rather watch paint dry then see Nawaz play again.

As for Amir, I'd want a trio of Amir, Naseem and Ali, but that ain't happening as shaheen ain't going no where.

I never said anything else. So no clue what you're talking about the humiliation part, all it does is put 100x more heat on babar, No clue why you want him in the firing line when he couldn't handle it earlier with his own clique 11.

It's worse this time since he'll have to captain a side with 2 players that are against him, Imad and babar won't have that much animosity but Amir and babar will be hell on earth, good luck getting babar to gell a team.

 

[mominsaigol]

PCB must respect public sentiment and reinstate Babar as all-format captain.

Babar needs to break following Pakistani records as captain:

Most matches as captain and most wins as captain across formats. In addition to this, he will also be Pakistan’s top scorer ever across all formats with the most hundreds.

All of this is achievable in the next 7-8 years which will mean that Babar will retire as the most decorated and successful cricketer in Pakistan history.

PCB must be enable him to achieve this records and must make the right calls to facilitate this.

Max they'll be C to D tier teams and no one will care. It won't put him over sarfraz ,Younis khan Or Imran Khan due to the absence of winning cups.

Besides a few select trolls, no one really cares about 2018, they just care about which captain gets the cup and who were the contributing factors IN THE FINAL MATCH, or during said tournament as a whole.

 

[Kianig89]

Babar Azam has accepted captaincy will lead the side against NZ and then T20WC, reports on social media

 

[160KPH]

It's worse this time since he'll have to captain a side with 2 players that are against him, Imad and babar won't have that much animosity but Amir and babar will be hell on earth, good luck getting babar to gell a team.

They will be handled. If Babar Azam returns, he will have more power than ever and the backing of a brand new PCB chairman.

 

[mominsaigol]

Ngl, Pakistani fans are in for another humiliation with babar as captain lol. .

Tbf they were in for a humiliation with shaheen and rizwam as well

 

[160KPH]

Pakistani cricket is Babar Azam. Babar is Pakistani cricket. There is no separation.

 

[mominsaigol]

They will be handled. If Babar Azam returns, he will have more power than ever and the backing of a brand new PCB chairman.

Still supporting Australia as my bread, jam and butter fam.

Pakistan became my no 2 as soon as Bobby took over. Although I will be fair this time around, I am curious to see the new and improved captain that people have been going on about.

But If I see one more keeping playing 11 until it gets butchered strategy, then I'm trolling every pakistani fan left and right.

Expect comments advocating for Babar to become president, prime minister and minister of education from me.

Again, I hope you don't mind and call me a hater for it. I have no hope in a captain who never wins anything and last time got butchered beyond belief. All I want is for Pakistan to win as consistently as Australia do.

 

[Mamoon]

Ngl, Pakistani fans are in for another humiliation with babar as captain lol. .

Tbf they were in for a humiliation with shaheen and rizwam as well

But that humiliation would be nothing compared to the humiliation that you, @Rana, @topspin, @CerebralPatriot, @YousafTheBeast are going through right now, thanks to this unforeseen twist in the tale that you guys never expected in your wildest dreams.

I bet a lot of you guys are hoping this is a bad dream that you will wake up from any time now.

 

[Mamoon]

@Rana @topspin

 

[mominsaigol]

But that humiliation would be nothing compared to the humiliation that you, @Rana, @topspin, @CerebralPatriot, @YousafTheBeast are going through right now, thanks to this unforeseen twist in the tale that you guys never expected in your wildest dreams.

I bet a lot of you guys are hoping this is a bad dream that you will wake up from any time now.

I don't care as much as you think I Do fam. I'm all for another beatdown as in what happened in 2023 Asia cup and world cup.

I am not the one writing fan fiction and getting mad about imad winning 3 psl games in a row and being MOM .

Don't put me in a bracket. I don't care about Internet drama or Babar azam as much you think I do.

 

[160KPH]

Still supporting Australia as my bread, jam and butter fam.

Pakistan became my no 2 as soon as Bobby took over. Although I will be fair this time around, I am curious to see the new and improved captain that people have been going on about.

But If I see one more keeping playing 11 until it gets butchered strategy, then I'm trolling every pakistani fan left and right.

Expect comments advocating for Babar to become president, prime minister and minister of education from me.

Again, I hope you don't mind and call me a hater for it. I have no hope in a captain who never wins anything and last time got butchered beyond belief. All I want is for Pakistan to win as consistently as Australia do.

To be honest the real issue is lack of talent in certain positions.

One of the major reasons for our struggles in 2023 WC was due to lack of good spin options. Shadab and Usama Mir just were not consistent enough. Before people say Imad, he’s a horrible bowler in ODI, although a decent T20 power play bowler due to low economy. Maybe Abrar Ahmed can finally fill that hole in our team. Our whole pace attack also underwent injuries before the tournament begin.

It’s hard to win in India when you don’t have great spin options at your disposal. Zampa kept Australia in the tournament early on when they were struggling. The Afghanistani spinners caused their team to massively over perform what was expected. And of course, Jadeja and Kuldeep were veey good throughout the tournament.

 

[Rana]

@Rana @topspin
View attachment 142947

I guess he’s referring to himself and Rizwan

 

[160KPH]

@Rana @topspin
View attachment 142947

 

[deltexas]

I like Babar the batsman but he should not take up the captaincy even if he was offered it. Even the greatest players dont make the best captains - Lara and Tendulkar for example . No shame in that . Again, I like watching Babar bat but do not support him as captain. He had his chances. Let someone else take the headache and he can just focus on his batting. His batting should have been at the next level - instead I think he has regressed actually. He just focus firmly on his batting and leave captaincy alone.

I hope I am totally wrong - but this captaincy stint for Babar can be worse than his previous one. He now will have a fractitious team to manage with Imad, Amir & Shan.. Personally, not worth it for him in my opinion. But boy - if he takes it u - he has to deal with the brickbats that come with it especially when it has been so contentious.

 

[RyanRyan10]

Babar Azam was captain for 4 years. Who told you that PCB changes captains like a toothbrush?

I worry for your oral health if you keep the same toothbrush for 4 years.

Between 2010 and 2023, Pakistan has had 4 Test captains: Misbah, Sarfraz, Azhar and Babar.

4 captains in 14 years is very normal, it would had been 3 if PCB didn’t make the wrong call of making Azhar captain ahead of Babar.

Teams like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies have probably had 10 different captains in 14 years.

PCB has been very stable, mature and consistent with appointing captains and giving them long ropes.

I won’t let ignorant Indian fans troll Pakistan with blanket statements that are not backed by facts.

Please stick to making jibes about PCB Chairmen and players coming out of retirement because you have a point there - that is an area where Pakistan cricket lacks stability and consistency, but Pakistan cricket has been as stable and consistent as any cricket team as far as captaincy is concerned, so please don’t talk about captaincy.

Pakistan's test captain is someone who has zero talent and doesn't deserve to be in the XI (you have said these things).