The dust has barely settled on Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, and already, discussions are swirling about the team’s future leadership. While the official call will come from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), former Zimbabwean captain and coaching veteran Andy Flower has added his voice to the mix, sparking a fresh debate.
Notably, Pakistan cricket has been grappling with captaincy issues, particularly in the white-ball formats. Babar Azam was reinstated as captain after Shaheen Afridi’s brief and challenging stint as skipper, which included a 1-4 series loss to New Zealand in January. However, Babar’s reinstatement before the mega event didn’t solve all the problems as Pakistan couldn’t even make it to the Super 8.
Andy Flower picks his choice
Flower, in discussing the future leadership of the Pakistan cricket team, expressed his views on potential captaincy candidates. He ruled out Shadab Khan, citing his failure to perform his primary role effectively, and dismissed the possibility of Shaheen Afridi returning to the captaincy. This left Babar and Mohammad Rizwan as the main options. Flower praised Rizwan for his leadership qualities, highlighting his integrity and the respect he commands from his teammates, suggesting that Rizwan could be a viable choice for captain.
“As far as the leadership is concerned, Shadab Khan is out of the running because he is not doing his primary job well. I don’t think they will go back to Shaheen which leaves Babar and Rizwan as the option. Rizwan I think, is an excellent leader of men. He has got a big heart and he has got ample integrity and people follow him. I think he is an option for them,” said Flower while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
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Where Pakistan went wrong in the T20 World Cup 2024
In addressing Pakistan’s performance in the T20 World Cup, Flower pointed to the sudden and significant changes made just before the tournament. These included reinstating Babar as captain, demoting Shaheen, and bringing back players like Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir.
Flower suggested that such major adjustments could have disrupted the team’s cohesion and stability. However, he also believed that these changes had the potential to strengthen the team, implying that the timing and implementation might have been the issues rather than the changes themselves.
“They made some quite radical changes just prior to the World Cup. They brought Babar back as captain and relegated Shaheen. They also brought back Imad Wasim from the wilderness along with Mohammad Amir. So, big changes just prior to the tournament starting but I think these changes should have strengthened Pakistan,” added Flower.