Before the forthcoming T20I series against New Zealand on home soil, Babar Azam is expected to make a comeback as Pakistan’s captain, according to reports.

Azam had resigned as captain of all forms in November of last year, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has now decided to reappoint him.

The selection committee’s proposal led to the decision to reinstate Azam as captain.

Shaheen is considering resigning from his position as T20I captain in light of the board’s ruling. Insiders close to the pacer have cautioned him against it, though.

It should be mentioned that last year Shaheen took Azam’s place as captain for T20I cricket and Shan Masood for Test cricket.

This comes after the PCB announced that it will decide Shaheen’s status as the T20I team’s captain following the fitness camp that is now taking place in Kakul, which ends on April 8.

At a news conference held on March 24 following the selection committee’s announcement, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi gave little to no mention of Shaheen’s potential to remain captain.

Naqvi remarked, “Even I’m not sure who the captain will be.” “After the fitness camp, which begins on Monday, it will be decided whether Shaheen stays on as captain or if a new one is appointed.

We will take into account a number of technical elements, the specifics of which I do not like to discuss. Whether it’s a new guy or Shaheen, we want a long-term answer. Then, rather than just replacing a captain when a team loses a game or captaincy, we want to support that individual,” he continued.

Azam’s years-long tenure as the national team’s captain came to an end in November after a disastrous World Cup campaign. He resigned as captain of the team in all formats.

After Pakistan underperformed at the Asia Cup and carried over that momentum into the World Cup, where they were eliminated before making it to the semifinals, the former captain faced criticism for several months.

Although Azam was named Test and white-ball captain in 2020 and 2019 respectively, the Green Shirts have neither won an Asia Cup or an ICC championship while he has been in charge.