Pakistan out of T20 World Cup: Yet another captaincy change? Former skipper Younis Khan puts forward a new option

In addition to Fakhar Zaman Younis Khan would also recommend Naseem Shah as potential candidate who can take over captaincy for Pakistan

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, left, and Fakhar Zaman run between the wickets to score during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and Canada at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Westbury, New York, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. AP/PTI

After reaching the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia it has been a downward curve for the Pakistan side in the ICC events. They have had a mixed World Cup in India in the 50-over format and got eliminated without reaching the semifinal. The 2024 T20 World Cup though has been a disastrous one for them. Not only have they lost to The United States in Group Stage but also have failed to qualify for Super Eight.

The performance from the side has once again put questions on Babar Azam’s captaincy. Former Pakistani cricketer Younis Khan suggested Fakhar Zaman could be the captain of the side on the Game show on PTV Sports. “Why can’t Fakhar Zaman be the captain of the side isn’t he a performer?” Younis questioned

“Didn’t he do well in the last 50-over World Cup? Who is that one player who gave us hope?” Younis sadi. Zaman started the 2023 World Cup in India poorly however, in the second half turned his form around which coincided with Pakistan’s success. His blistering starts at the top kept Pakistan in contention however, it was too little too late for them to go further in the tournament.

Story continues below this ad

Despite being a prolific opener the left-hander has been pushed down the order time and again by the management in T20I format. He batted at four in the current T20 World Cup. “Who is that one player in the side who is leaving his opening slot and batting down at four or five or six? Who is sacrificing his place? Fakhar Zaman! Why won’t you make him the captain?” Younis added.

However, the change in batting position has not yielded great results for Zaman as he could only manage 33 runs from four games at an average of 8.25 and a strike rate of 110. In addition to Zaman, Younis would also recommend Naseem Shah’s name as captain and would compare him to South Africa’s Graeme Smith who took over the reigns at a young age and went on to have an illustrious career both as a leader and player.

Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.