It has been reported that Babar has outlined conditions for accepting the captaincy, including having a voice in the selection of coaches.

Sources claim that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has extended the captaincy offer to Babar Azam for the white ball formats, yet the star player has not reached a decision.

It has been revealed that Babar has stipulated conditions for accepting the captaincy, which include having input into the appointment of coaches. Additionally, Babar has expressed his desire to lead the team in all three formats.

The national selection committee is divided on the matter. A former Punjab caretaker minister, who seemingly lacks a cricket background, opposes granting absolute authority back to Babar.

One well-informed source mentioned that some members of the selection committee now believe it’s best to allow Shaheen Shah Afridi to remain as captain for the upcoming home T20 series against New Zealand in April, providing him with an opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities.

He stated that some selectors feel it would be prudent to wait for a series or two before making a final decision on reinstating Babar as captain.

The intriguing aspect is that after a meeting with Mohsin Naqvi, the selectors, including Muhammad Yousuf, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, and former minister Bilal Afzal, have collectively urged him to make the ultimate decision.

The source added that after expressing their viewpoints to the PCB chief, they have now tasked him with making the ultimate decision. Naqvi has instructed them to persuade Babar to accept the white ball captaincy for the time being, with the Board reserving judgment on the red ball captaincy until after the T20 World Cup.

Even though the PCB chief gave a clear mandate to the selectors when appointing them to choose the captain, the current situation suggests a divergence from that mandate.

The Test captaincy is currently held by Shan Masood. Similarly, there is also a lack of clarity regarding the PCB’s plans for appointing foreign coaches for the national team.

As of now, the PCB has encountered rejections from several foreigners, such as Adam Voges, Luke Ronchi, Shane Watson, and Mike Hesson, as per the source.

He mentioned that currently, the PCB is hopeful that their negotiations with Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie will be successful, as they are seeking them to assume the roles of white ball and red ball coaches, respectively.

“The only catch is that both Kirsten and Gillespie are firm in their stance that they will bring their support staff, while the PCB desires to make other appointments, aiming to include some local players on the support staff as assistant specialist coaches,” he said.