PCB Headquarters Hosts Late-Night Meetings on Team Captaincy and Coaching Staff

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, saw a late-night meeting chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

The selection committee members presented their recommendations regarding the national cricket team’s captaincy, with discussions also focusing on the appointment of coaching staff. It is anticipated that an announcement regarding Babar Azam replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain will be made in a day or two, alongside the unveiling of the new coaching staff.

Chief Operating Officer of PCB, Salman Naseer, along with selection committee members Mohammad Yousuf, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq, Bilal Afzal, and Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla were present at the meeting.

The meeting delved into the search for suitable coaching staff, with negotiations with foreign coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie reaching the final stages. The PCB aims to adopt a unique approach by appointing separate coaches for red-ball and white-ball cricket. While Gary Kirsten is being considered for the head coach role in white-ball cricket, Jason Gillespie is likely to lead coaching efforts for the red-ball format.

Discussions also revolved around potential changes in leadership for the T20 World Cup 2024. Speculations are rife about replacing Shaheen as T20I captain, with Babar and Mohammad Rizwan being considered as potential successors.

The possibility of reinstating Babar as captain ahead of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand gained traction during the meeting. Babar had stepped down from the captaincy across all formats following Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup.