3 best options to replace Babar Azam as Pakistan's white-ball captain

The Babar Azam-led Pakistan suffered group stage exit at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Babar Azam has quit as Pakistan’s white-ball captain twice in less than a year. The veteran batsman had relinquished the position last year after Pakistan’s failure to reach the Asia Cup final and the World Cup semi-final.

Shaheen Afridi was named the new T20I skipper, but after a series loss in New Zealand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reinstated Babar at the helm of limited-overs captaincy.

However, with disappointing results in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, where the Men In Green suffered a group stage exit following defeats to the USA and India, Babar has now stepped down from his position again, despite the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 not too far away.

Pakistan now have to look for a new candidate to take over the white-ball captaincy. Shaheen Afridi is unlikely to be given the position again considering his workload and knee injury issues.

In this article, we will look at three options the PCB can look towards to replace Babar Azam as the limited-overs skipper.

3 best options to replace Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain:

Mohammad Rizwan

Wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan is the front-runner to become the new Pakistan skipper in white-ball cricket.

Rizwan has been in the international circuit for nine years and is a first-choice player in the XI. He has captained Pakistan in two test matches in interim capacity, but has proven his captaincy mettle in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

He’s captained Multan Sultans in 48 PSL matches, claiming 32 victories. He led Multan to the PSL title in 2021 and the team finished runners-up in the next two seasons.

Shadab Khan

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan’s name has been championed by a section of fans as the player to replace Babar Azam as Pakistan’s limited-overs captain. The calls for this strengthened as Shadab led the Panthers to the title victory in the recently concluded Champions One-Day Cup. In the tournament, Shadab averaged 40 with the bat and took five wickets in five outings with the ball.

The 26-year-old has already featured in more than 100 T20Is and in 70 ODIs for Pakistan and is a key member of the white-ball teams.

In the PSL, he has led Islamabad United in 55 matches so far, out of which his side won 31 games. He has captained Pakistan as well in six T20Is between 2020 and 2023.

Fakhar Zaman

Left-handed batsman Fakhar Zaman’s name has been put in the ring by former skipper Younis Khan, Pakistan’s 2009 T20 World Cup-winning captain.

Zaman, the hero of Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy final victory, stormed back into Pakistan’s XI last year and his explosive hitting against New Zealand kept them alive in the World Cup 2023 tournament.

He is a first-choice player in both white-ball teams and the 34-year-old brings in significant experience of over 170 international games.

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