[Reports] Babar Azam set to be named as Pakistan ODI captain

[MenInG]

Top Pakistan batsman Babar Azam is set to be named captain of the national ODI squad after having already replaced wicketkeeper batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed as skipper in the T20 format.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in October had dropped Sarfaraz from the Test and T20 squads in a surprise decision while naming Azhar Ali as captain in the longer format and Babar for the shorter version.

But the PCB didn't name a captain for the ODI format as Pakistan's next 50-over assignment will be a lone match against Bangladesh on April 3 here.

Critics, however, pointed out that any decision to replace Sarfaraz as captain in ODI format is not going to be easy as the wicketkeeper-batsman led Pakistan to six straight wins last year starting with the World Cup league stage matches.

"Sarfaraz has also performed well as a batsman and keeper in 50-overs format having played with a batting average of around 32 and kept well last year," a critic said.

Sarfaraz's biggest achievement as ODI captain was to lead Pakistan to the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy title that too after defeating arch-rivals India in the final.

The Board and selectors have already faced some criticism over replacing Sarfaraz as captain and also dropping him as a player after he took Pakistan to the world number one ranking in this format.

"There is no way the PCB or selectors can now justify not keeping Sarfaraz in the ODI team or replacing him with Babar Azam. It would be great injustice with a fine captain and a player," former chief selector and head coach Mohsin Khan said.

He said it was acceptable to change Sarfaraz as captain in Test cricket but not to drop him as a player for the Test and T20 formats.

"There was pressure on Sarfaraz as captain for all three formats but he is still the ideal choice for the white ball formats," Khan said.

Former Test batsman Ramiz Raja noted that given Babar's status as being the number one batsman for Pakistan in all three formats, he appeared to be the logical choice to lead in ODIs.

The head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq and the two captains have repeatedly said that if Sarfaraz performed well in domestic cricket, including the Pakistan Super League he can make a comeback into the national team.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...am-sarfaraz-ahmed-replaced-1644001-2020-02-06

 

[Titan24]

It had to be Babar after he got the T20 captaincy in the year of world T20.

 

[hitthestump]

It's a no brainer. You can't pick Babar for t20 in a world cup year and then deem him not ready for ODI captaincy too.

 

[Snowflake]

Had to be

 

[jnaveen1980]

But for ball tampering smith would have also been the captain. All the teams have their best batsman captaining. Now that QDK is captaining SA

 

[Savak]

Better to look to the future now. Babar being rewarded for his hard work and performances

 

[Mean&Green]

But for ball tampering smith would have also been the captain. All the teams have their best batsman captaining. Now that QDK is captaining SA

Except India Sharma should be the captain since Virat hasn’t even gotten a hundred in while and Sharma everyone knows is ten times the Loi captain Kohli will ever be

 

[chazam]

End of the road for Sarfaraz...Waqar does not like him and will never select him. Sad ending for him.

 

[Markhor]

Critics, however, pointed out that any decision to replace Sarfaraz as captain in ODI format is not going to be easy as the wicketkeeper-batsman led Pakistan to six straight wins last year starting with the World Cup league stage matches.

"Sarfaraz has also performed well as a batsman and keeper in 50-overs format having played with a batting average of around 32 and kept well last year," a critic said.

Is this critic Sarfraz Ahmed by any chance ?

 

[Ozeirk]

The way Rizwan is going door seems to be closing on Sarfaraz slowly.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Think we all knew this was coming the moment Sarfraz was sacked and Babar was made T20 captain

 

[ZamanFan]

Sarfaraz issue will explode on PCB's face during WT20 or early and then they'll make another rash decision the way they removed Sarfaraz when he told PCB that he won't resign and they can remove him from captaincy. Mani and Wasim removed him from the squad, and it resulted huge burst of anger which is growing.

Target killing of Sarfaraz image won't hurt him, making a strong captain heading a stable and successful team will.

PCB's biggest stupid move was making Misbah as head coach and chief selector, then allowing him to bring back Ahmed Shehzad, Hafeez, U. Akmal and Shoaib Malik. In a few months, Babar Azam will have either a revolt or sackingto save Waqar/Misbah decisionmaking. Now the mafia has completely dominated the batting lineup across all formats minus Abid Ali.

PCB won't be able to fight with Sarfaraz legacy, Sarfaraz the captain is further away. When this board is replaced all of its yesmen will be out and Sarfaraz will return again.

 

[khan_aa]

Tough situation for sarfraz. I am a big fan of sarfraz, but he let his fitness slide to a point that it was getting unbearable.
Yes, he performed well in the last 6 matches in WC, but we still lost the WC. We lost to WI and India. Lost a close game to Australia - Australia game we could have won if he did not run out.

So there is definite rationale behind sacking him because of non performance. However, I think they should have kept him in the team as a second keeper/ batsman.

 

[CricketDon]

Except India Sharma should be the captain since Virat hasn’t even gotten a hundred in while and Sharma everyone knows is ten times the Loi captain Kohli will ever be

I agree Sharma is the superior captain of the two. I recon if he average a couple of runs more and was in the 50 average he’d be captain. Either way kohli would not allow the thought of removing him as captain. Personally feel Sharma should be the T20 captain

 

[BoomBoomCricket]

Babar left school aged 12. He is uneducated. He is illiterate. He can't speak English. Far from ideal for a national captain. He has limited experience of life outside the cricket field. This is also important. You want well rounded individuals holding a position of responsibility such as leadership roles.

But he is a world class performer with the bat in hand. He is a responsible, thinking and consistent batsman with the way he applies himself at the crease time after time. He'll be the type of captain that will lead from the front and lead by example to inspire the rest of the team as a model of consistency through the strength of his own batting performances rather than being a funky tactician or someone who is a decent orator.

He has plenty of captaincy experience with Pakistan U15, Pakistan U19, Pakistan "A" and Central Punjab more recently.

Babar would be a fine choice to lead Pakistan in the ICC ODI World Cup Super League 2020-2022 and then the 2023 World Cup. He has a century in the ICC U19 World Cup in 2010 aged 15. He has a World Cup 100 in a must win game against a good New Zealand attack on a tricky surface and it was a pleasure to be at Edgbaston that Wednesday to see him get three figures, something Inzamam or Yousuf never achieved in a World Cup event. He knows what it takes to deliver as the premier batsman in the side in a high profile competition.

However, he has bad taste in selecting players. Shoaib Malik averaged under 20 in five of the last six world tournaments he's played for Pakistan and he is putting his faith in him looking ahead to Australia and the Twenty20 World Cup later this year on the vague basis of his experience and seniority. That has disappointed me. According to reports he had a major say in picking Hafeez and Malik for the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore. This shows a distinct lack of vision in building a team and the type of players he wants to invest in. It is just going around in circles with older players who have continuously let Pakistan down on the world stage, especially in England most recently.

 

[Minnowbasher]

Babar left school aged 12. He is uneducated. He is illiterate. He can't speak English. Far from ideal for a national captain. He has limited experience of life outside the cricket field. This is also important. You want well rounded individuals holding a position of responsibility such as leadership roles.

But he is a world class performer with the bat in hand. He is a responsible, thinking and consistent batsman with the way he applies himself at the crease time after time. He'll be the type of captain that will lead from the front and lead by example to inspire the rest of the team as a model of consistency through the strength of his own batting performances rather than being a funky tactician or someone who is a decent orator.

He has plenty of captaincy experience with Pakistan U15, Pakistan U19, Pakistan "A" and Central Punjab more recently.

Babar would be a fine choice to lead Pakistan in the ICC ODI World Cup Super League 2020-2022 and then the 2023 World Cup. He has a century in the ICC U19 World Cup in 2010 aged 15. He has a World Cup 100 in a must win game against a good New Zealand attack on a tricky surface and it was a pleasure to be at Edgbaston that Wednesday to see him get three figures, something Inzamam or Yousuf never achieved in a World Cup event. He knows what it takes to deliver as the premier batsman in the side in a high profile competition.

However, he has bad taste in selecting players. Shoaib Malik averaged under 20 in five of the last six world tournaments he's played for Pakistan and he is putting his faith in him looking ahead to Australia and the Twenty20 World Cup later this year on the vague basis of his experience and seniority. That has disappointed me. According to reports he had a major say in picking Hafeez and Malik for the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore. This shows a distinct lack of vision in building a team and the type of players he wants to invest in. It is just going around in circles with older players who have continuously let Pakistan down on the world stage, especially in England most recently.

He isnt illiterate he just doesn't know English which isnt really a huge problem.
In terms of captaincy experience he has plenty
He is of a good age
He is a consistent performer and is first man on team sheet
Honestly he ticks all the boxes he is the man now.