Mohammad Amir: “It’s high time that the board should announce the captain with only [two] months left [until] the World Cup”
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Mohammad Amir, the left-arm pace bowler, wants the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to officially confirm Babar Azam as captain for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
He noted that with just a couple of months to go until the tournament begins, the board should affirm their backing of the 28-year-old so that it stops all the rumours and speculation.
Amir added that he doesn’t see any chance of Pakistan replacing Azam as captain as it wouldn’t “make any sense”.
“It’s high time that the board should announce the captain with only [two] months left [until] the World Cup,” Amir said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
“There is no reason to change the captain at this point. It doesn’t make any sense. So, it’s better to officially name Babar Azam [as Pakistan captain] just like [the] PCB announced the head coach.”
Azam recently led Pakistan in their two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which the team won 2-0.
The Lahore-born batsman wasn’t at his usual best during the series as he was restricted to 76 runs at an average of 25.33.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, which will be played in Sri Lanka from August 22 to 26.
Pakistan Squad for Afghanistan ODI Series and 2023 Asia Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel (Afghanistan series only), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr