Babar Azam storms back into ODI captaincy race as Mike Hesson triggers Rizwan removal talks with letter to PCB: Report

Rizwan was appointed as the ODI captain last year by the PCB and he led the team to wins in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. However, his leadership came under the scanner after Pakistan loss in the home tri-series final to New Zealand, followed by a humiliating early exit from the Champions Trophy at home and an away series defeat in the West Indies.

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According to a report in Geo News, PCB is set to replace Rizwan as the ODI captain after head coach Mike Hesson first initiated the talks, keeping the World Cup 2027 in mind. This was followed by PCB holding an "initial discussion" pertaining to the change in leadership. "The talks have also taken place with one potential candidate," sources told the Pakistan media channel.

A PCB spokesperson told Geo News that Hesson also wrote to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, requesting a joint meeting of the selection committee and the advisory committee to officially pick the captain for the series against South Africa. The letter was then forwarded to both the committees, who as slated to meet on October 20. "The final decision on the ODI captaincy is likely to be made in the October 20 meeting," the spokesperson added.

The report also revealed that while fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has emerged as the front-runner in the race to take over the ODI captaincy duty from Rizwan, other candidates include Babar Azam and incumbent T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha. Babar had previously held the role from 2019 to 2023. He had resigned from captaincy after Pakistan's forgettable show in the 2023 ODI World Cup and was replaced by Shan Masood. The batting star was re-instated as the T20I skipper for the 2024 World Cup, but resigned for the second time after the tournament, citing workload and a desire to focus on batting.

While PCB clarified that it has yet to decide on the captain for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, sources told the Pakistani channel that the frontrunner has requested a free hand and assurance through the 2027 World Cup.

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