‘Babar Azam Better Captain Than Shaheen Afridi’ – Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting believes Babar Azam is a better choice than Shaheen Afridi to lead Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2024.
Former Australian captain and legend Ricky Ponting believes Pakistan made the right call by appointing Babar Azam as captain for the T20 World Cup 2024.
Ponting feels Pakistan appears more stable with Babar Azam at the helm compared to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s short-lived captaincy stint.
Babar took over the white-ball leadership just two months before the tournament, replacing Shaheen Afridi after a disappointing 1-4 series defeat against New Zealand.
Speaking to the ICC, here’s what Ricky Ponting said:
“Captaincy suits some, not others,” Ponting explained. “Great players haven’t always been great captains. Their laser focus on personal improvement can be hindered by leadership duties.”
Babar had previously stepped down from captaincy across formats after Pakistan’s exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup. Shaheen took over the T20I captaincy and led Pakistan in just one T20I series.
However, the Men in Green lost that series terribly. Later, Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars finished at the bottom of the points table, leading PCB to reconsider their decision and remove him from the role.
Return to Babar Azam: A Strategic Move
Ponting also mentioned a dip in Babar Azam’s form during his earlier stint as captain. However, he believes Babar has learned from that experience and emerged as a stronger leader.
“I reckon Babar, when he first started, I had that feeling that he… because if you look at his record, his numbers went down on the back of it. So I think he might have learned a bit from that.”
The Australian legend believes Babar Azam’s return to captaincy strengthens Pakistan’s chances of winning the World Cup.
“Shaheen didn’t set the world on fire as a leader either, so I think going back into a World Cup it just looks like a more settled team when you’ve got someone like Babar as captain rather than Afridi.”
Pakistan, runners-up in the 2022 edition, will begin their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against the hosts USA at Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas on June 6th.
