Babar Azam to Be Thrown Out Again? Pakistan Coaches Make Their Stance Clear on Captaincy

Speculation has been rife regarding the future of Pakistan ’s cricket captains Babar Azam and Shan Masood, with rumors suggesting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was considering replacing both leaders after a series of disappointing performances. However, recent developments have revealed that head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have supported Babar and Masood, advising against any hasty changes.

After a turbulent run at the 2023 ODI World Cup , where Pakistan failed to progress beyond the round-robin stage in India, Babar Azam was stripped of his white-ball captaincy. His successor, pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, took over the reins but faced the same fate after just one poor series. 

On the red-ball side, Babar Azam voluntarily stepped down from Test captaincy, and Shan Masood was named his replacement. However, after a 2-0 series defeat to Bangladesh , Masood’s position also came under fire, with calls for his immediate removal.

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Babar Azam and Shan Masood will live to fight another day as captains

In the midst of this mounting pressure, PCB insiders have now revealed that Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, who coach Pakistan 's white-ball and red-ball teams, have strongly advised the board against making abrupt captaincy changes.

“There has been no discussion on changing the captains as the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has left it up to the two coaches and selectors to decide on the captaincy,” a PCB source told PTI.

The source further elaborated on the views of Kirsten and Gillespie, stating, “Kirsten and Gillespie are very clear that Shan and Babar both need to be given a proper run before judging their leadership abilities.”

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This backing comes at a critical juncture for Pakistan cricket, as both the white-ball and Test sides are looking to rebuild after a string of underwhelming performances. Babar Azam , who has been Pakistan’s premier batter across formats, is seen as integral to the team's core, while Shan Masood has been tasked with leading the Test team into a new era.