Going To The Sun Road

The uncertainty around the future of Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam as well as the fate of the selection committee lingers as head coach Gary Kirsten and selector Wahab Riaz submitted their tour reports to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi following Pakistan's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. Pakistan were dumped out of the tournament after just three games, with defeats to the USA and India proving terminal to their campaign.

The end of Pakistan's World Cup was followed by a fierce - and a somewhat frenzied - backlash in the country. The selection committee of seven, widely viewed as being de facto headed by Wahab, was one of its central targets, while a perceived tactical ineptitude and culture of conservatism under the captaincy of Babar has also come under scrutiny. There remain unanswered questions about the selection of the squad itself, particularly around the continued non-selection of specialist legspinner Abrar Ahmed despite Shadab Khan's indifferent form.

However, as ESPNcricinfo reported last month, the PCB has chosen to take its time before launching into any major decisions. Pakistan do not have a white-ball engagement until November, allowing the PCB to wait till Kirsten and Wahab - who was also the senior team manager for the tournament - handed in their reports.

It is understood the PCB remains open to a change of captaincy, though sticking with Babar has also not been conclusively ruled out. This partly stems from a lack of obvious candidates to replace him; when Naqvi decided to sack Shaheen Shah Afridi, he ultimately returned to Babar - who had only been replaced a few weeks earlier. That was following yet another poor showing at an ICC event - the ODI World Cup in India in 2023.

Now that Kirsten and Wahab have submitted their reports, any decisions regarding the "surgery" Naqvi had reportedly been prepared to conduct do theoretically move closer. However, the PCB has consistently refused to put a timeline on any action, insisting they wish to make a considered decision rather than a quick one.