Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has expressed strong support for Mohammad Rizwan to succeed Babar Azam as the national white-ball captain, praising Rizwan’s leadership qualities.
With growing speculation about Babar Azam’s future as captain, Rizwan has emerged as a leading contender for the role. Basit Ali, speaking on his YouTube channel, highlighted Rizwan’s impressive leadership during the Champions One-Day Cup, where he captained the Markhors to a decisive win over the Stallions.
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Basit commended Rizwan’s ability to read pitch conditions, an aspect he believes surpasses the skills of both Babar Azam and the current Test captain, Shan Masood. “The way Rizwan led the side, he proved there is no better skipper than him,” Basit remarked. “He read the pitch; it’s a significant advantage. Even Babar can’t do that. If you don’t make him captain now, it’s a loss for Pakistan. This is the best time to give Rizwan the captaincy.”
Pakistan’s cricket team has struggled recently, with leadership concerns arising from poor performances in the Asia Cup 2023 and the World Cups. Babar Azam, who was replaced by Shaheen Afridi after the ODI World Cup, has faced growing criticism.
Shaheen’s time as captain was brief, and Shan Masood’s leadership in Test matches has also been questioned following a home series defeat to Bangladesh. Despite this, a source within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dismissed rumors of immediate captaincy changes, advocating patience and allowing both current captains time to establish themselves.
Babar Azam is scheduled to resume his white-ball captaincy duties in November when Pakistan faces Australia in a series of ODIs and T20Is. As discussions about leadership continue, Basit Ali’s endorsement of Rizwan has intensified the debate about Pakistan’s future direction. Fans and former cricketers remain divided over whether Rizwan should take over from Babar.
