A controversy has erupted in Pakistan cricket, with allegations surfacing that Babar Azam was aware of his appointment as the T20I captain well before it was officially announced, despite assurances to Shaheen Afridi that he had no intentions of taking over the role. Babar replaced Shaheen as skipper just before the T20 World Cup, following Afridi’s brief tenure as captain in only one series.
A journalist from Saamna TV claimed that during a training camp at the Army base in Kakul, Babar and Shaheen had a conversation where Babar supposedly reassured the fast bowler that he had no ambitions of becoming the captain. However, the journalist alleged that Babar already knew he would be named as the next skipper. A member of the team management reportedly kept Shaheen in the dark about these developments.
While the journalist initially made strong accusations against Babar, he later backtracked, suggesting that Babar might not have been fully aware of the behind-the-scenes decisions regarding the captaincy change.
This controversy comes as Pakistan grapples with the fallout from their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, where they were knocked out in the group stage, including a shocking loss to the USA. Several former players have voiced their support for Shaheen, criticizing his removal as unjust, while coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to avoid making sudden captaincy changes.
The ongoing debate raises questions about leadership within the team, with Pakistan cricket once again finding itself in the midst of a captaincy crisis.