Media scrutiny of Babar Azam’s captaincy intensified at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, just before the team departed for Dublin.
Pakistan will compete in three Twenty20 Internationals in Ireland from May 10-14. This precedes four matches in England from May 22-30, followed by the T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean in June.
In 2022, Pakistan almost clinched the T20 World Cup in Australia but fell to England in the final. Under Babar’s leadership, the team has repeatedly come close, including a semi-final exit and an early departure from the T20 Asia Cup.
Recently, the team underwent significant changes. Babar stepped down temporarily as captain after the 50-over World Cup, with Shaheen Shah Afridi taking over the T20 leadership. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) quickly reinstated Babar as the white-ball captain.
Under chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB convinced Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir to end their retirements for the T20 World Cup. Gary Kirsten was appointed head coach but will start with the team in England, with his assistant Azhar Mahmood handling the initial stages.
The revised selection committee, including Babar and the new head coach, recruited key players like Amir and Imad. Haris Rauf’s return from injury bolsters the fast-bowling lineup.
Babar praised the careful selection process. “We’ve made strong choices across all departments, especially in fast bowling with Amir’s return,” he said.
Babar was optimistic about Haris Rauf’s readiness following a training camp in Pakistan. “A break can refresh a player mentally and physically. Haris seems ready and eager,” he commented.
Recently, Pakistan employed a rotation policy against New Zealand to evaluate new middle-order players. However, Babar indicated they would now focus on giving more game time to those likely to make the World Cup squad, moving away from rotation.
The team flew to Dublin early Tuesday, although due to visa issues, Amir’s departure was delayed. Meanwhile, Pakistan unveiled the new “Matrix Jersey” for the T20 World Cup at a ceremony attended by key players and PCB chief Mohsin, hopeful about ending a 15-year trophy drought.
