Mohammad Rizwan likely to take over as captain 'across all formats'

A major change is on the horizon for the Pakistan cricket team, with wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan likely to be appointed as the skipper in all three formats, sources said on Friday.

The development comes amidst indications that Babar Azam's tenure as white-ball captain may be coming to an end.

According to sources, head coach Gary Kirsten held discussions with board officials in July regarding the possibility of replacing Babar as the white-ball skipper for the upcoming tour of Australia.

As per the sources, Mohammad Rizwan's name will be considered for the captaincy position, and if a consensus is reached, he may be appointed as the captain of all three formats in the future.

The decision is yet to be finalised, but the sources indicate that Rizwan's appointment as captain is a "strong possibility".

Currently, Shan Masood is leading Pakistan team in test format and Babar in T20 and ODI.

Babar has been under severe scrutiny following Pakistan's early exit from the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, co-hosted by the USA and West Indies.

His poor performance in the recently concluded home series against Bangladesh also raised questions about his skills.

Bangladesh secured a historic 2-0 series whitewash against Pakistan, which also raised eyebrows of the cricket body regarding Masood's role.

In November last year, the 29-year-old batter announced stepping down as the skipper of the national side from all formats.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi as Test and T20 captains, respectively.

However, Afridi's poor performance in a series against New Zealand in January this year prompted the cricket body to replace him.

Later in March, PCB replaced Shaheen with Babar as skipper of white-ball cricket.