The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on November 15, 2023, appointed new captains for the Test and T20I format. This happened after Babar Azam quit captaincy in all three formats earlier in the day.
Pakistan have appointed Shaheen Shah Afridi as their new T20I captain and Shan Masood as their Test captain. With Pakistan not playing any ODI match till November 2024, no captain for that format has been named.
Shortly after Babar had resigned, the PCB had stated that he was offered the option to continue as Test captain, while the decision to remove him as white-ball skipper was presented to him as fait accompli.
"After consultation with his family, Babar decided to step down and PCB stands behind his decision. PCB respects his decision and continues to support him as a player. Babar Azam is truly a world-class player and we want him to continue to thrive as a player. He is one of the best batters Pakistan has ever produced. He is our asset, and we will continue to support him,” PCB chief Zaka Ashraf said.
Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan captain in all formats
34-year-old Shan Masood has played 30 Tests, scoring 1,597 runs, which includes four centuries and seven half-centuries. Shan has been appointed captain till the end of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. His first assignment as captain will be the tour of Australia where Pakistan will play three Tests in December-January.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi will lead Pakistan in T20Is and his first assignment as captain will be the five-match T20I series in New Zealand from 12 to 21 January. The tall pacer has bagged 64 wickets in 52 T20Is.
Shaheen has experience as a captain, as he led the Lahore Qalandars to two consecutive PSL titles.
On the other hand, Mohammed Hafeez has replaced Mickey Arthur as the team director. Arthur has not been removed, but he will not accompany the team. It formalizes his dramatic demotion, while Hafeez, who has no prior experience as a coach or director, will manage the coaching staff in Australia.
Head coach Grant Bradburn will also not travel with the Pakistan team to Australia and New Zealand. A replacement will be named soon and Younis Khan is tipped to be the prime candidate to take over.
It is known that neither Arthur nor Bradburn have been relieved of their positions, which this temporary PCB management committee is unable to take. It has not yet been announced what positions would be assigned to Arthur and Bradburn, but both are not expected to resign.
(Cricket Pakistan/ESPNCricinfo inputs)
