After Babar Azam\u2019s resignation
\nRelevant officials also asked to consult Mohammad Rizwan for team selection, say sources
\n LAHORE
\nAfter Babar Azam resigned from captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team, right-handed batter and wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan is likely to be the \u201cstrongest candidate\u201d for the job, sources told Geo News on Wednesday.
\nAccording to the sources, relevant officials have been asked to hold consultations with Mohammad Rizwan for team selection.
\nThe former Pakistan captain had a day earlier announced that he was stepping down from white-ball captaincy, as it was time for him to focus on his playing role and personal growth.
\n\u201cBy stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth, the 29-year-old batter wrote on X.
\nThe sources said that Babar was not asked to quit captaincy and was asked to continue being captain of the ODI team, as white-ball coach Gary Kirsten wanted him at the top.
\nBringing in a new captain for the T20 format was Kirsten\u2019s plan as part of team\u2019s future strategies, the sources maintained, adding that the coach had asked for the change to be made in July.
\nIn July, Kirsten came to Pakistan for meetings and sharing a report on T20 World Cup, said the sources, adding that the coach also met Babar in the same month to discuss captaincy matters.
\nKirsten, as per the sources, kept persuading Babar to continue captaincy in ODIs even during the connection camp.
\nThe 29-year-old remained unconvinced about retaining the captaincy following distance with the team and a lack of value for himself, said the sources, adding that he was not in touch with the board after the World Cup.
\nBabar was also not included in any consultation process. He, however, had informed a top official of the board about his decision before announcing his resignation.
\nBabar\u2019s resignation from captaincy comes amid severe criticism directed at him, particularly after Pakistan failed to perform in the Asia Cup and continued the same performance into the World Cup \u2014 where the team crashed out before reaching the semis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After Babar Azam\u2019s resignation Relevant officials also asked to consult Mohammad Rizwan for team selection, say sources LAHORE After Babar Azam resigned from captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team, right-handed batter and wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan is likely to be the \u201cstrongest candidate\u201d for the job, sources told Geo News on Wednesday. According to the sources, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":435016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-434997","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n