Babar Azam.
Credit: PTI Photo
Karachi: Pakistan could have separate cricket captains in all three formats, given the heavy schedule of the side and the pressure it could put on one white-ball skipper, according to sources.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was expected to hand over Babar Azam ODI captaincy as well for the upcoming white-ball matches, but the charismatic batter tendered his resignation around midnight on Wednesday to focus on his batting.
Insiders suggest that it would not be easy for white-ball head coach, Gary Kirsten or the selection committee to appoint the next captain in the shorter formats.
"Muhammad Rizwan is the obvious choice for the white-ball captaincy given that, along with Babar, he is the only player who is an automatic selection in all formats of the game," said an insider.
"But things are not so simple because, with the hectic international calendar of the team, the workload on Rizwan is a worrying factor for red-ball coach, Jason Gillespie, Kirsten, the PCB and the selectors," he added.
Rizwan, Babar and Shaheen Shah Afridi are all-format players, so workload management is going to be a big issue.
Pakistan are scheduled to play 18 ODIs and T20I in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa between November and December, which will be followed by a two-Test series in South Africa.
Following their return home in January, the team will engage in a two-Test series with the West Indies, an ODI tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa leading up to the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March.
After the ICC event, the Pakistan side will fly to New Zealand for a white-ball series before the PCB organises the Pakistan Super League.
"Babar was captain in all three formats for more than three years but Kirsten and the selectors have their reservations over whether Rizwan would be able to handle the workload in the coming months of not only playing all the formats but also leading the side in ODIs and T20Is," said another source.
He added that a scenario was possible where the PCB might either have separate ODI and T20I captains or appoint a strong vice-captain to Rizwan and make it clear that the wicketkeeper-batter will get ample breaks to manage his workload.
"In which case, Rizwan's deputy will lead the team," the source added.
"Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood and Shaheen are the other candidates under consideration for either the role of Rizwan's deputy or leading the T20I or ODI side," he said.
The source said that Kirsten had already informed the PCB that after Babar's loss of confidence and form, he didn't think any other player could handle the captaincy pressures in two formats.