Pakistan keen on reinstating Babar as T20 skipper 

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi hinted at a change in leadership in T20Is ahead of the 20-over World Cup in June.  

The PCB arranged a 10-day fitness camp for a 29-member squad in Kakul in association with the country's military starting on Monday after which Pakistan's T20I side, currently led by speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi, will gear up for five T20Is against New Zealand at home before travelling to England for a four-match T20I series throughout April and May. 

"The selection committee and board are working on two or three things and the selectors will take a decision on the captaincy after the training camp in Kakul," Naqvi told reporters.

"The selection committee has to do some brainstorming and sit together and decide on the captain," Naqvi said, adding that his committee is in favour of continuity.

T20I skipper Shaheen seemed to have lost the PCB chief's trust after he led Pakistan in an unsuccessful tour of New Zealand where they suffered a 4-1 drubbing in the five-match T20I series.

Shaheen's credentials as skipper were questioned further when his Pakistan Super League side, defending champions Lahore Qalandars, suffered a horrendous campaign as they won only a solitary match, losing eight, in the recently-concluded edition. He managed to lead Lahore to consecutive titles in the previous two editions of the tournament (2022 and 2023), an achievement that put him in contention for the Pakistani captaincy in the first place. 

Shaheen replaced Babar Azam as T20I captain after Pakistan's dismal show in the ODI World Cup in India. The decision was taken by the previous committee headed by Zaka Ashraf. Babar was removed from white-ball captaincy and subsequently, the right-handed batter stepped down as Test captain. Shan Masood was given the charge of the Test side but as for the ODIs, PCB are yet to announce a name for the ODI captaincy. 

Initially, Mohammad Rizwan was deemed the leading candidate for white-ball captaincy according to a report by Cricket Pakistan but Babar's name has also come to the fore. According to Cricket Pakistan, it was learned that Babar was dissatisfied with the handling of his captaincy and remains a hesitant candidate. However, the report mentioned that Babar will only accept the responsibility again upon the agreement of certain conditions that suit his liking and after his concerns regarding the team have been addressed. 

Interestingly, all-rounder Imad Wasim and left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir have come out of retirement and made themselves available for selection. Both had criticised Babar for his performances as well as leadership in last year's ODI World Cup. The duo are likely to be included in the Pakistan T20I squad and the reappointment of Babar could very likely cause the atmosphere inside the dressing room to sour.