3 players who could replace Babar Azam as captain in Tests

Babar Azam, the Pakistani captain, is going through a rough phase and this comes on the back of his continuous losses against England in the Test series and the first Test of the two-match series against the Tim Southee-led New Zealand ending in a draw. Much to the surprise of the Pakistani fans, when many predicted that Babar would be removed as the captain ahead of the series against the Kiwis, he continued to remain as the skipper of the team. 

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However, Babar faced criticism when he declared during the first Test against the Black Caps to set a target of 138 in 15 overs for Southee and his men. Although the match ended in a draw, fans opined that the game could have gone either way and asked for the removal of the right-handed batter as the team’s skipper. We decided to handpick three players who could replace Babar as captain in the Test format. 

Here are the three players: 

3) Sarfaraz Ahmed

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Sarfaraz Ahmed (Image Source: Twitter)

One of the greatest-ever comebacks was Sarfaraz Ahmed coming into the Test setup after a span of almost four years. The batter made a stupendous contribution in the first Test including a valuable 86 and in the second Test as well, which kicked off on January 2, Monday. 

Given that he has a proven record of leading the team, Sarfaraz might return as the captain in the Test format. For the unversed, it was under his leadership Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy post defeating India in the summit clash.

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2) Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Afridi (Image Source: Twitter)

Shaheen Afridi is fast becoming Pakistan’s prime pacer and the youngster could rattle the opponent team’s top order on his day. With Babar under pressure for continued failures, the left-armer could be tasked to lead the team, given that the teams are banking on youngsters at present. 

However, his proneness to injuries might come as a concern for the Pakistani team and the Pakistan cricket board (PCB) who would hope for a much-fitter captain. Given that there are fewer options at present, it is highly likely that Shaheen might end up leading the team in the near future. 

1) Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan (Image Source: Twitter)

Mohammad Rizwan is one of the successful wicketkeepers for Pakistan and the right-handed batter was dropped for the first Test against the Tim Southee-led New Zealand team. However, one has to agree that the batter cannot be kept out for long. 

Given his proven prowess with the bat and his ability to keep, Pakistan’s selection committee led by former aggressive cricketer and allrounder Shahid Afridi, could hand him over the captaincy hat. If at all Rizwan gets to lead the team in the near future replacing Babar Azam, it might well be a start of a new era for the Pakistan team.