Following Pakistan’s poor T20 World Cup campaign, head coach Gary Kirsten and selector Wahab Riaz submitted their tour reports to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, raising questions over Babar Azam’s future as captain of the white-ball team and the future of the selection committee. After just three games, Pakistan was eliminated from the T20 World Cup as defeats to the United States and India ended their campaign.
Following Pakistan’s early exit from the World Cup, the nation had a severe and sometimes frantic response. Among its main targets was the seven-member selection committee, which was widely believed to be de facto led by Wahab Riaz; additionally, under Babar’s captaincy, there was a culture of conservatism and apparent tactical incompetence.
There are still unresolved issues around the squad’s actual selection, mainly with the persistent omission of veteran leg spinner Abrar Ahmed in spite of Shadab Khan’s lackluster performance.
According to the news published on ESPNcricinfo, the PCB has decided to wait before making any significant moves. Pakistan’s next white-ball match is not until November, so the PCB had time to wait until Kirsten and Wahab, who served as the tournament’s senior team managers, submitted their reports.
It’s understood that the PCB is still considering switching captains; however, staying with Babar Azam hasn’t been firmly disqualified either. This is partially due to the dearth of clear contenders to succeed him; after Naqvi fired Shaheen Shah Afridi, he eventually went back to Babar, who had only been replaced a few weeks prior. That came after yet another disappointing performance at an ICC tournament, the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
In theory, decisions about the “surgery” Naqvi had supposedly been ready to perform do get closer now that Head Coach Gary Kirsten and Chief Selector Wahab Riaz have turned in their findings. But the PCB has constantly insisted that they would prefer to make a thoughtful choice over a hasty one and has refused to set a deadline for any action.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: IND vs PAK Match No. 19
