Former cricketer Aqib Javed has expressed his strong belief that Babar Azam is the ideal candidate for the ODI captaincy and any other choice would be a mistake leading up to the upcoming 2023 World Cup. Javed, during an interview with a local media channel, emphasized that there should be no speculation regarding the ODI captaincy at this stage.
Javed argued that the entire discussion surrounding Babar Azam’s captaincy was misplaced from the start. He firmly stated that no one except Babar Azam is suitable for the role of ODI captain.
To support his stance, Javed highlighted the recent T20I series against Afghanistan where Pakistan’s performance suffered when another captain, Shadab Khan, led the team while senior players, including Babar, were given rest.
Javed questioned the need to consider anyone other than Babar for the captaincy and expressed his confusion about why anyone would want to appoint another captain when Babar Azam is available.
However, Javed did express his opinion that Pakistan’s leading fast bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, should be given the opportunity to captain the team in the T20 World Cup 2024.
He pointed out that if teams are formed based on performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), then Shaheen, who has led his team to consecutive PSL victories, should be considered for the captaincy in the T20 format.
