In a stunning revelation, the acting head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mr Najam Sethi has revealed that incoming consultant Mickey Arthur will decide how many captains Pakistan has going forward.
Sethi made the comments during a YouTube video which seems to confirm that Babar Azam may be stripped of the leadership in one of the roles. This development comes just days after Babar was assured of his role by Mr Sethi himself during a one-on-one meeting.
I asked Mickey, do you want one captain or two captains for New Zealand series. After consulting with him, we decided on having one captain for the white-ball format. I told him, when you will come, you can sit with Babar and then decide from there onwards, Sethi was quoted as saying by CricketPakistan.
Babar Azam started making his name in international cricket under Arthur’s guidance but Sarfaraz Ahmed was the national team’s captain during his first stint with the Pakistan cricket team.
The 74-year-old also revealed that Mickey Arthur will not only get a say in selecting captains of the Pakistan cricket team but some selectors as well.
Arthur will not travel to Pakistan for the upcoming series against New Zealand and will only reportedly join the team for the 2023 Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup in India which may affect the Green Shirts’ performances.
Despite all these challenges, Najam Sethi appears confident that appointing the former coach in this hybrid role is in Pakistan’s best interest.
