Babar Azam has replaced Azhar Ali as Pakistan’s Test captain
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Babar Azam has replaced Azhar Ali as Pakistan’s Test captain after being appointed to the position by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The PCB confirmed the change in leadership after the board’s chairman, Ehsan Mani, met with Azhar on Tuesday.
With Azam succeeding Azhar as Test captain, the 26-year-old now leads Pakistan across all three formats.
“I want to thank Azhar Ali for stepping up last year by captaining the side in what was a historic first home Test series in over a decade. I believe Azhar still has a lot of cricket left in him and Pakistan cricket can continue to make the best use of his experience and knowledge as specialist top-order batsman moving forward,” Mani said in a PCB press release.
“Babar Azam was identified at a very young age as a future leader and as part of his progression and development, he was appointed white-ball captain last year. With his consistent performance and leadership skills, he has demonstrated that he is ready to take on the additional responsibilities of a captain.
“As we are looking into the future, it is appropriate that we appoint him the captain now so that he continues to grow stronger with every match. I wish Babar all the best and remain optimistic that he will help Pakistan cricket make an upward movement across all formats not only through his performance but also with his positive attitude and result-oriented approach.”
Azam’s first assignment as Test captain will be the upcoming tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan will play two Tests from December 26 to January 7.
Prior to the Test series, the men in green will also play three T20 Internationals against the Black Caps from December 18 to 22.