[REPORTS] Azhar Ali to be appointed Test captain and Mohammad Rizwan as vice-captain

[MenInG]

Rumour mill in operation but sometimes there is no smoke without fire!

Azhar Ali as next Test captain - would that be a good move?

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https://arysports.tv/azhar-ali-likely-to-replace-sarfaraz-as-test-captain-against-australia/


Pakistan’s experienced batsman Azhar Ali is likely to replace Sarfaraz Ahmed as the captain in the longest format of the game, sources familiar with the matter told.

Pakistan are to face Australia in their home ground in three T20Is followed by two Tests starting from November 3 this year.

According to the sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering to give Azhar Test captaincy against Australia, while Sarfaraz will be retained as T20I captain.

The board has also decided to drop the middle-order batsman Umar Akmal and opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad from the T20 squad, as both the batsmen failed to create an impact against Sri Lanka in the recent home series.

However, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez will be included to the squad after reviewing their performance in the National T20 Cup, sources added.

 

[angrypathan]

Another captain who arguably doesn't merit a spot in the team based on recent test performances. Not to mention his previous captaincy stint exposed him as a tactical dud

 

[aloo paratha]

Would be a massive upgrade over Sarfaraz.

 

[Titan24]

Only choice available for Test cricket at the moment so not a bad move in my opinion. He can captain for next 1-2 years and then eventually Babar can take over.

 

[Titan24]

Another captain who arguably doesn't merit a spot in the team based on recent test performances. Not to mention his previous captaincy stint exposed him as a tactical dud

He never had a great LOI mindset and it was a mistake to make him a captain of that format. He should have been made a test captain back then rather than Sarfaraz.

 

[trickyone]

Might as well make Hafeez T20 and Malik ODI Captain too...

 

[Chikkeh]

Good player but is he a leader? I'm not so sure.

 

[Titan24]

Good player but is he a leader? I'm not so sure.

But then who is?

 

[Sir-fraz]

Misbah the revolutionary at his best lol.

Hes slowly bringing us back to the "misbah" era.

We all know Azhar is his friend and now that hes a position to hand out gifts the first one is to Azhar Ali...

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Don't like him but not much options to be honest. He can briddge the gap to Babar in a year .

 

[Titan24]

Misbah the revolutionary at his best lol.

Hes slowly bringing us back to the "misbah" era.

We all know Azhar is his friend and now that hes a position to hand out gifts the first one is to Azhar Ali...

Come on. You want Sarfaraz to remain captain and Pak to remain at no 7 (The big achievement of Mickey and Sarfaraz)?

Who should have been made instead?

 

[Mamoon]

Give Wasim a pay rise. 30 lakhs per month are just spare change for the stellar job that he is doing.

 

[Sir-fraz]

Come on. You want Sarfaraz to remain captain and Pak to remain at no 7 (The big achievement of Mickey and Sarfaraz)?

And appointing azhar who is on his last legs is going to do any better?

We have already seen what kind of captain azhar is. Nothing more to discuss here.

 

[Titan24]

Personally I want Babar to become captain of Tests and ODIs but he needs to settle down as a player first in tests. In ODIs I think he can be given the job now.

 

[Titan24]

And appointing azhar who is on his last legs is going to do any better?

We have already seen what kind of captain azhar is. Nothing more to discuss here.

Again, who should be made captain? Azhar is your best test batsman record wise at the moment and also is most experienced, he is the only suitable bridge until Babar is ready for test captaincy.

 

[Hasan123]

The problem he is he should not be a guarantee to start due to his poor form.

If he was still performing , he would not be a bad choice for a year.

Let's be honest Babar Azam is the long term captain. PCB is just waiting for the right time to make him captain.

 

[Titan24]

The problem he is he should not be a guarantee to start due to his poor form.

If he was still performing , he would not be a bad choice for a year.

Let's be honest Babar Azam is the long term captain. PCB is just waiting for the right time to make him captain.

At the moment Azhar is the 2nd highest run scorer in QAE trophy so we can only hope he is getting his form back. I agree that Babar is the long term option.

 

[King_Kohli]

I am not sure Azar has leadership qualities or not but Sarfa definitely not a captain material for tests and not even deserved in final 11

 

[Hasan123]

At the moment Azhar is the 2nd highest run scorer in QAE trophy so we can only hope he is getting his form back. I agree that Babar is the long term option.

Let's see if he can bring this form to international cricket. I am doubtful that he can.

 

[Abdullah719]

Give Wasim a pay rise. 30 lakhs per month are just spare change for the stellar job that he is doing.

Captaincy decisions are in Misbah's hands.

 

[Hasan123]

Good player but is he a leader? I'm not so sure.

A Sarfraz fan talking about other players not being leaders?

Your hero is definitely no leader LOL.

 

[troodon]

Babar has matured a lot as a player in the past year. He should be the captain in all 3 formats.

 

[Titan24]

Babar has matured a lot as a player in the past year. He should be the captain in all 3 formats.

True, he has matured a lot. However, in tests arena he is still finding his feet and 2-3 big scores under his belt in the next year or so will do wonders for him. I agree that he is ready for captaincy in other formats though.

 

[Sir-fraz]

Again, who should be made captain? Azhar is your best test batsman record wise at the moment and also is most experienced, he is the only suitable bridge until Babar is ready for test captaincy.

Id throw babar in the deep end and let him sink or swim. That way we can find out what hes made of.

Hes already 24 now is a good time as any to give him the reigns and let him build his team.

 

[King_Kohli]

Babar has matured a lot as a player in the past year. He should be the captain in all 3 formats.

Obviously he will be captain one day but I feel he need some time to feel comfortable and settle like how Kohli took over from Dhoni. Babar still need to be more consistent in test arena.

captaincy and responsibilities will add pressure on early stage which is not fair, that could impact his batting. Let him settle and enjoy batting for some time.

 

[coy0607]

Again, who should be made captain? Azhar is your best test batsman record wise at the moment and also is most experienced, he is the only suitable bridge until Babar is ready for test captaincy.

Azhar averages 25 in the last 2 years - he is the best test batsmen?

I'd rather have Babar, Harris, Amir... anyone but the 35 year old Azhar who's already 2+ years past his expiration

 

[Mirpur express]

He’s hopeless as a captain but still better option then Sarfi.. says a lot about the players we have, if Aamir unretires! maybe he would be a better choice..

 

[srh]

anyone but Sarfraz or Babar

 

[Paka Lahori]

My pick would of been Haris Sohail, but don't mind Azhar as a captain. He is the most experienced Test Cricket currently in our team.

 

[topspin]

Captaincy decisions are in Misbah's hands.

This would not surprise me one bit because the same Head Coach was also responsible for recommending Azhar Ali to be the ODI captain in 2015.

For all the posters hoping it was going to be Babar Azam, do you really think Misbah with his phobia for youngsters and appetite for seniors was ever going to consider making him captain???

I'm pretty sure this source is reporting more than just a rumour, so now we await for the appointment of Asad Shafiq as Vice-Captain.

This what Pakistan cricket deserves for its lack of regard in adhering to the principles of meritocracy and due process, which resulted in PCB to opt for Misbah in a dual role as Head Coach and Chief Selector.

I can promise you there is no better recipe to destroy Pakistan's cricket.

 

[the_game]

Yet another attempt by Misbah to take us back to his glory days.

This man will take us to rock bottom and then get fired, until then enjoy the ride brothers.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

This would not surprise me one bit because the same Head Coach was also responsible for recommending Azhar Ali to be the ODI captain in 2015.

For all the posters hoping it was going to be Babar Azam, do you really think Misbah with his phobia for youngsters and appetite for seniors was ever going to consider making him captain???

I'm pretty sure this source is reporting more than just a rumour, so now we await for the appointment of Asad Shafiq as Vice-Captain.

This what Pakistan cricket deserves for its lack of regard in adhering to the principles of meritocracy and due process, which resulted in PCB to opt for Misbah in a dual role as Head Coach and Chief Selector.

I can promise you there is no better recipe to destroy Pakistan's cricket.

Its just temporary until Babar is ready for captaincy. I certainly do hope Misbah doesn't put Asad Shafiq in the starting lineup though, lol .

 

[Abdullah719]

This would not surprise me one bit because the same Head Coach was also responsible for recommending Azhar Ali to be the ODI captain in 2015.

For all the posters hoping it was going to be Babar Azam, do you really think Misbah with his phobia for youngsters and appetite for seniors was ever going to consider making him captain???

I'm pretty sure this source is reporting more than just a rumour, so now we await for the appointment of Asad Shafiq as Vice-Captain.

This what Pakistan cricket deserves for its lack of regard in adhering to the principles of meritocracy and due process, which resulted in PCB to opt for Misbah in a dual role as Head Coach and Chief Selector.

I can promise you there is no better recipe to destroy Pakistan's cricket.

Well, he did make him the vice-captain... Could have been done by the previous regime too, but we saw the likes of Malik deputising for Sarfaraz.

 

[topspin]

Its just temporary until Babar is ready for captaincy. I certainly do hope Misbah doesn't put Asad Shafiq in the starting lineup though, lol .

Asad Shafiq isn't just in Misbah's good books, they're like best friends, so there's no way he will drop him until he's under immense pressure to do so.

 

[topspin]

Well, he did make him the vice-captain... Could have been done by the previous regime too, but we saw the likes of Malik deputising for Sarfaraz.

I will believe it when I see the appointed vice-captain is asked to deputise, at a time when the skipper is unavailable.

 

[azimiqbal]

If report is true it’s the right move.

For test cricket anyways. Safraz does not merit a place in the test team so how can he be captain ?

 

[Titan24]

Azhar averages 25 in the last 2 years - he is the best test batsmen?

He still averages around 43-44 which is highest in the current Pak batting lineup where others are struggling with an average within 30s (Except maybe Haris who is averaging 40). Nevertheless I know he has been pretty poor in last couple of years but he is performing well in QAE 19 (Second highest scorer) and you shouldnt discard a regular performer after couple of poor seasons.

And not to forget the next series is in Aus where he has got a double hundred.

 

[Boi]

Azhar is finished as a Test cricketer imo. Him and Shafiq don’t even deserve to be in the Test squad based on their recent form and here we are about to make one of them captain.

 

[PAF]

I've a feeling Azhar Ali will perform as Captain. He can be a short term solution for test captaincy atleast for two years,in the mean while Babar Azam should be groomed. After Azhar Ali's county stint, he's looked more confident and has been scoring runs too in domestic. Time for him to step up and lead from the front.

 

[barah_admi]

If he is captain...then sarfraz shouldn't even be in the squad.

 

[saeed5646]

if sarfraz is not retained in test team i won,t mind this decision .babar azam is not ready and we don,t have many options

 

[saeed5646]

Sarfraz must be dropped from test team if he is stripped off captaincy .There is no room for him as a player in test team rizwan deserves long run due to his consistent performance in domestic

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Azhar Ali is Pakistan's best test batsman regardless of his recent struggles in South Africa. Looking at short-term he might be the only sensible choice from the current crop of players because Sarfraz as test captain is absolutely untenable. But PCB should also name a VC if they name Azhar as captain. And he should be someone like Babar or Shan Masood who can be seen as someone who will fill that role naturally in time.

 

[The Viper]

The positive is that Rizwan can hopefully come in.

Azhar’s recent test form is a worry though and we don’t need another non performing captain.

Hopefully he can translate his QEA form in Australia.

 

[saeed5646]

Azhar Ali is Pakistan's best test batsman regardless of his recent struggles in South Africa. Looking at short-term he might be the only sensible choice from the current crop of players because Sarfraz as test captain is absolutely untenable. But PCB should also name a VC if they name Azhar as captain. And he should be someone like Babar or Shan Masood who can be seen as someone who will fill that role naturally in time.

babar azam is already named vice captain for all format

 

[mgtow]

That is how Sarfraz became the captain in the first place. So it can’t be coincident why Azhar Ali is captain again as soon as Misbah became part of management.

 

[msb314]

Captaincy decisions are in Misbah's hands.

What is the benefit of appointing Azhar as captain when his own form has been horrendous for the past 2 years?

We will be in another Sarfraz-like situation again

 

[Savak]

Is everyone forgetting AZHAR ALI"s tailender batting in our last test series in South Africa? How can he get away with it? The likes of Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq are the biggest beneficiaries of the fact we don't play enough test matches, every one forgets their wretched form and performances.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Azhar is finished as a Test cricketer imo. Him and Shafiq don’t even deserve to be in the Test squad based on their recent form and here we are about to make one of them captain.

I dont think so.

Azhar should bat at 3 with Babar at 4.

Good decision, now make sure Sarfraz is a gonner from the test team.

 

[Shazzam]

This is very bad move. They are removing a non performing captain with another. Azhar Ali is not captaincy material. In fact he is worse than Sarfraz.

 

[topspin]

Shan Masood should be the captain. Yes he hasn’t played much however the SA series showed he has come leaps and bounds as a batsman. If he can come out as the top performer in SA, he shouldn’t have issues in the UAE and most away tours.

 

[Mamoon]

Captaincy decisions are in Misbah's hands.

And who appointed Mr. I left England to help PCB?

 

[Shazzam]

Shan Masood should be the captain. Yes he hasn’t played much however the SA series showed he has come leaps and bounds as a batsman. If he can come out as the top performer in SA, he shouldn’t have issues in the UAE and most away tours.

Has Shan improved at all as a player?

 

[Mercurial]

What the.... He is almost finished and they are appointing him as a Test captain

Lol @ Shan Masood. He is not a Test batsman by any means.

I would go with Imad Wasim. His batting average in FC cricket is decent, better than Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq. His bowling average is decent for an all rounder. He can easily fit at 6 position in the batting line up as an all rounder.

 

[topspin]

Has Shan improved at all as a player?

Did you watch the SA test series this year? He was our best batsman on the most difficult batting conditions found in world cricket.

 

[Shazzam]

What the.... He is almost finished and they are appointing him as a Test captain

Lol @ Shan Masood. He is not a Test batsman by any means.

I would go with Imad Wasim. His batting average in FC cricket is decent, better than Shan Masood and Asad Shafiq. His bowling average is decent for an all rounder. He can easily fit at 6 position in the batting line up as an all rounder.

Problem with Imad is he has no interest in playing Test cricket. If he did I would agree with you. Imad is a great replacement for Sarfraz in limited overs.

 

[The Viper]

Shan has improved but the sample size is far too small to consider him as captain.

 

[Shazzam]

Did you watch the SA test series this year? He was our best batsman on the most difficult batting conditions found in world cricket.

No I didn’t thats why I asked. But okay, does he have any experience in captaincy? I am trying to figure out why this guy is your go to option. I mean yes he can speak good english but as a player I see nothing that suggests he would make a good captain.

 

[Mercurial]

Rizwan is another option for Test captaincy. His batting average in FC cricket is better than Azhar Ali even, lol. He is fit and young. Either him or Imad for me. No one else.

 

[Shazzam]

Ok this maybe a long shot or wishful thinking. They could bring in Fawad Alam for captaincy.

 

[Mercurial]

Ok this maybe a long shot or wishful thinking. They could bring in Fawad Alam for captaincy.

This would be a better decision than appointing Azhar Ali.

 

[MMHS]

I feel, PCB is always scared of the backlash and take decisions for which they have an acceptable explanation - opting for safe route here. At current state, it's easily explainable why Azhar is (if so) made Captain and if PAK comes from AUS 0-2 (Not if, they'll unless it rains for 3 days), still it's explainable - which won't be the case if a new Captain is appointed. PAK media & former players have a massively overstated perception about the "talent" level of the team, therefore an AUS tour under new Captain isn't the best thing for PCB to explain as aftermath.

In that context, not many options left beyond Azhar if they are not ready to risk a new Captain, though they have delayed it by couple of years - Sarfraz should have been sacked after SRL Series. That time appointing Azhar would have made better sense.

Ideally, they should have appointed Haris as Test Captain with Babar deputy until Haris's knees give up. PAK has 4 Tests after AUS, which are more important than an AUS tour in current circumstances. A new Captain in AUS isn't the best idea, but it hardly matters (who is Captain) - what it could served is a better prepared Captain for the Series against SRL & BD. I am afraid, with his negative tactics, Azhar won't go all-out to win in those "home" Tests.

And, last but not least - what else could we have expected from Misbah - he'll increase the average age of PCT by 5 years at least by the time 2023 WC comes (If he stays till then).

 

[HappyWarsFan]

I feel, PCB is always scared of the backlash and take decisions for which they have an acceptable explanation - opting for safe route here. At current state, it's easily explainable why Azhar is (if so) made Captain and if PAK comes from AUS 0-2 (Not if, they'll unless it rains for 3 days), still it's explainable - which won't be the case if a new Captain is appointed. PAK media & former players have a massively overstated perception about the "talent" level of the team, therefore an AUS tour under new Captain isn't the best thing for PCB to explain as aftermath.

In that context, not many options left beyond Azhar if they are not ready to risk a new Captain, though they have delayed it by couple of years - Sarfraz should have been sacked after SRL Series. That time appointing Azhar would have made better sense.

Ideally, they should have appointed Haris as Test Captain with Babar deputy until Haris's knees give up. PAK has 4 Tests after AUS, which are more important than an AUS tour in current circumstances. A new Captain in AUS isn't the best idea, but it hardly matters (who is Captain) - what it could served is a better prepared Captain for the Series against SRL & BD. I am afraid, with his negative tactics, Azhar won't go all-out to win in those "home" Tests.

And, last but not least - what else could we have expected from Misbah - he'll increase the average age of PCT by 5 years at least by the time 2023 WC comes (If he stays till then).

Haris would be great but he gets injured all the time so it's not ideal. Babar has not been groomed. I am OK with Azhar only if he is captain for short term and opens, NOT bats at 3

 

[MMHS]

Haris would be great but he gets injured all the time so it's not ideal. Babar has not been groomed. I am OK with Azhar only if he is captain for short term and opens, NOT bats at 3

He'll be Captain as long as Misbah is in charge, he'll bat at 3 (Asad at 4) and to accommodate that, they'll change the batting order. And, I am not sure if Babar (Zulfi) has retired or not - if not, there is a good chance that he'll play in UAE Tests and MoHa as well, may be as opener.

Haven't you seen enough of Misbah? Duel role for team director (triple actually, he is the batting guru as well) isn't a bad idea (not the triple one, I am telling about the first two), but it can back fire if the power is misused.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

He'll be Captain as long as Misbah is in charge, he'll bat at 3 (Asad at 4) and to accommodate that, they'll change the batting order. And, I am not sure if Babar (Zulfi) has retired or not - if not, there is a good chance that he'll play in UAE Tests and MoHa as well, may be as opener.

Haven't you seen enough of Misbah? Duel role for team director (triple actually, he is the batting guru as well) isn't a bad idea (not the triple one, I am telling about the first two), but it can back fire if the power is misused.

We shouldn't be so judgemental. Hafeez has retired already from tests so that's not an option. I really doubt Zulfi will be picked, Misbah dropped him in 2016 and he's 41 now and plays in second XI.

Misbah definitely likes older players, but he does give youngsters a chance - he gave Shafiq his debut in 2010/11 and also backed Azhar who's had a successful career (minus the last 1.5 years). He got Rehman and Yasir to play as well. Also gave Babar Azam his debut in 2016/17. I think he will eventually do a good job with the test side.

You are a very good poster, the best in PP, and post very sensibly, but come on, let's not join the Misbah hate bridgade.

Let's wait until he announced the squad and wait for results before completely formulating opinions.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

babar azam is already named vice captain for all format

Only for ODIs and T20Is

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

We shouldn't be so judgemental. Hafeez has retired already from tests so that's not an option. I really doubt Zulfi will be picked, Misbah dropped him in 2016 and he's 41 now and plays in second XI.

Misbah definitely likes older players, but he does give youngsters a chance - he gave Shafiq his debut in 2010/11 and also backed Azhar who's had a successful career (minus the last 1.5 years). He got Rehman and Yasir to play as well. Also gave Babar Azam his debut in 2016/17. I think he will eventually do a good job with the test side.

You are a very good poster, the best in PP, and post very sensibly, but come on, let's not join the Misbah hate bridgade like the rest of the clowns in this forum have done already.

Let's wait until he announcedsthe squad and wait for results before completely formulating opinions.

Agreed. Also important to note that Azhar averaged 36-37 during his initial years. But Misbah backed him at No.3 and by the time Misbah was retiring he was averaging 46-47

 

[Savak]

I would have given it to Shan Masood and tried a Graeme Smith like experiment

 

[topspin]

No I didn’t thats why I asked. But okay, does he have any experience in captaincy? I am trying to figure out why this guy is your go to option. I mean yes he can speak good english but as a player I see nothing that suggests he would make a good captain.

He has just been made captain of Southern Punjab, following the shake-up of Pakistan's domestic cricket which led to forming six new regional teams.

The reason why he's the best man to lead the side is firstly because he leads by example with his work ethic and fitness. He is the fittest cricketer in Pakistan and spends a lot of time practising his batting.

Secondly, he's an intelligent guy and having watched his interviews it's clear that he has a good cricketing brain.

Thirdly, he is rational and very much socially-aware. Unlike him, many of players do not how to carry themselves well on and especially off-the-field, as evident from their social media activity and from some of their interviews.

Finally, he makes the team on merit with his batting. If he can deliver on the toughest wickets for batting in world cricket, he should have no issues of cementing a place in this side. His technique is solid and is very proficient on the back-foot.

So as you can see from the points made above, it has nothing to do with his command of the English language. That is just a bonus. Salman Butt had good English but look what he did nine years ago! Ahmed Shehzad is relatively decent as well, however if you were to look at his social media activity, this guy comes across as a clown.

Babar Azam is the best alternative, however he is far too timid for my liking and secondly his response to Zainab Abbas on Twitter shows he needs to grow in regards to his social awareness. As there are no other viable candidates for the test captaincy, we have to settle for Babar as Vice-Captain.

 

[Kroll]

Agreed. Also important to note that Azhar averaged 36-37 during his initial years. But Misbah backed him at No.3 and by the time Misbah was retiring he was averaging 46-47

That was three years ago, and it's obvious Azhar has regressed since then, he's probably done. With Misbah in charge now, everything is going to script.

 

[Naveedahmed1]

I always thought Harris would be a good choice but I think we need An inspirational captain - don’t think Harris fits the bill.

 

[ARK Rafay]

That's negative thinking. Nothing has changed. Whatever face you may bring in, things are the same.

 

[Naveedahmed1]

For me it has to be Rizwan or Shan - most have crazy fitness and can be inspiration for the time to aspire to - kind of like Kohli did for India

 

[topspin]

We shouldn't be so judgemental. Hafeez has retired already from tests so that's not an option. I really doubt Zulfi will be picked, Misbah dropped him in 2016 and he's 41 now and plays in second XI.

Misbah definitely likes older players, but he does give youngsters a chance - he gave Shafiq his debut in 2010/11 and also backed Azhar who's had a successful career (minus the last 1.5 years). He got Rehman and Yasir to play as well. Also gave Babar Azam his debut in 2016/17. I think he will eventually do a good job with the test side.

You are a very good poster, the best in PP, and post very sensibly, but come on, let's not join the Misbah hate bridgade like the rest of the clowns in this forum have done already.

Let's wait until he announcedsthe squad and wait for results before completely formulating opinions.

Hate Brigade or more like being free from the minority Love Brigade?

Speaking of clowns when Misbah is exposed for his incompetence and is subsequently fired, he will be the laughing stock on PP.

I just hope you see the light before then.

 

[Naveedahmed1]

*both and

Team not time

 

[ARK Rafay]

Azhar
Masood (c)
Haris
Babar
Fawad
Rizwan (wk)
Imad/Yamin/Shadab
Zafar/Shadab
Yasir/Naseem
Shaheen
Abbas

 

[badsha001]

anything to get rid of sarfaraz and getting Rizwan into the team is an upgrade.

 

[TeymurBlake]

From the sound of they are looking for a short term fix with Babar Azam being blooded to takeover. But Azhar form does not in anyway warrant a captaincy stint, in fact it warrants a dropping from the setup. I would've also preferred Shan Masood as well but they clearly see Babar Azam as a future captain of all formats adding to the fact that Shan is yet to establish himself in the format.

 

[SARJ_BD]

Another captain who arguably doesn't merit a spot in the team based on recent test performances. Not to mention his previous captaincy stint exposed him as a tactical dud

Seems like you dont watch Domestic cricket. In addition, Azhar Ali have never been a good ODI captain simply bcoz he wasn't a good ODI player. Test is a complete different playground.

 

[Pete Rose]

A short term decision driven by a timid think tank. Either they dont know who should be long term test captain or they are too afraid of doing a sink or swim with Babar Azam. Azhar looked finished last time i saw him bat.