Babar Azam returns as Pakistan’s white-ball captain

Babar Azam was named Pakistan’s white-ball skipper on Sunday, four and half months after the batter had stepped down as its all-format captain following its World Cup debacle in India.

Pakistan could not make the knockout stage of the 50-overs World Cup last year, which prompted Babar to relinquish captaincy.

Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi was subsequently put in charge of the T20 squad, while Shan Masood was named the test captain.

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“Following unanimous recommendation from the PCB’s selection committee, Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has appointed Babar Azam as white-ball captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Under Afridi, Pakistan was hammered 4-1 in a T20 series in New Zealand earlier this year.

Babar will begin his new stint with a five-match home T20 series against New Zealand next month, but his leadership will face a tougher test in the 20-overs World Cup in June.