Wahab Riaz: “Babar Azam is the most experienced captain in this squad, obviously, he hasn’t won any trophy but still, due to his experience, we thought Babar is the right choice for captaincy at this moment”
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Pakistan selector Wahab Riaz believes Babar Azam was the right man to be named limited overs captain, even though he didn’t win any trophies during his previous tenure.
The 29-year-old succeeded Shaheen Shah Afridi, who only captained the men in green once during his short time as T20I skipper.
Further explaining why Azam was the ideal person for the job, Wahab noted he was “the most experienced captain in this squad.”
“Babar Azam is the most experienced captain in this squad, obviously, he hasn’t won any trophy but still, due to his experience, we thought Babar is the right choice for captaincy at this moment,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam previously captained the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and finished as the highest run-scorer with 569 runs in 11 games, which included a century and five fifties, at an average of 56.90 and a strike-rate of 142.60.
He will now lead Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which will take place in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18 to 27.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand T20I Series: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan
Non-travelling reserves: Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha
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