Istafa Ali
On Thursday, Shadab Khan refuted the notion that he was contending for the position of captain of the national team. He also stated that Babar Azam remains the leader of the squad and is only recuperating at this time. “Babar is our King” he said.
“Babar Azam is our captain, and he is now taking a nap. When his Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Islamabad United was knocked out of the competition by Peshawar Zalmi, managed by Babar Azam, Shadab responded to a question at a post-match news conference by saying, “Babar Azam is king and I am his minister.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to give veteran players, including the previous leader Babar Azam, a break by appointing Shadab Khan as the new captain for the three-match Twenty20 series.
Shadab Khan will take on the role of captain, but Babar Azam is our king.
The action by the PCB has sparked rumours that the top batter may lose his captaincy in one format, and that the board is conducting player evaluations to determine who should take on the position of leader.
Initially, Shaheen Shah Afridi was seen to be the best candidate to lead the team; but, when he posted a series of cryptic tweets, the board of directors decided to designate Shadab Khan as the captain for the Afghanistan series that would take place in Sharjah.
When questioned about the difficulties that may arise during the trip to the UAE, Shadab responded by stating that the Afghan side was a solid Twenty20 squad and that he anticipates a competitive series against them.
Shadab said that in order to win, “we would need to play smart cricket without fear.”
As a result of the inclusion of several PSL stars in the roster, Shadab will be in charge of a team that is on the younger side overall.
In addition to the series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has selected Mohammad Yousuf to serve as the temporary head coach and batting coach for the Sharjah trip in order to “maintain continuity.”
From the beginning of the previous year, Yousuf has been serving as a batting coach for the national team. In addition, he has been employed at the National High-Performance Centre.
