‘Shaheen didn’t set the world on fire as leader’: Ponting backs PCB’s call to reappoint Babar as T20I captain 

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has backed Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to reappoint Babar Azam as the T20I captain ahead of the Men in Green's T20 World Cup 2024 run, in West Indies and USA. Ponting feels the team looks more settled under Babar and have a better chance at the ongoing mega event under him. Babar replaced Shaheen Afridi, who succeeded the former, as the T20I captain just two months before the marquee ICC event. Shaheen had a short stint as the T20I captain, where he only led Pakistan in five away games in New Zealand, with the Black Caps thrashing them 4-1.

Speaking to the ICC, Ponting suggested that it is not necessary for a good player to be a good captain as well. "Captaincy just sits well with some people and it doesn't sit well with others," the ex-cricketer stated.

The Aussie reckoned, "We've seen it through the years that some of the best players that have ever played the game have not necessarily made the best captains and the thing that makes some of the very best players so good is how focused they are on what they need to do to get better and to be the best and find a way every day to get better."

Ponting further opined, "And when you are captain, you can't do that. You've got to actually compartmentalise what you're doing, look after your own game, look after all the guys around you. So, some guys can manage that better than others."

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It is to be noted that Babar stepped down as Pakistan captain across formats after the team's shambolic performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where the one-time winners failed to even make it to the semifinals. Soon, PCB appointed Shaheen as the T20I captain but the change in captaincy couldn't bring a change in the team fortunes. In addition, it was learnt that the pacer was contemplating to step aside as captain after not being included in discussions about his future in the role.

Ponting, the two-time ODI WC-winning captain, further pointed out that Babar also suffered a dip in form when he earlier took over the captaincy, however, the right-hander learnt from it and emerged as a match-winner.

"I reckon Babar, when he first started, I had that feeling that he... because if you look at his record, his numbers went down on the back of it. So I think he might have learned a bit from that," Punter mentioned.

Ponting feels Pakistan have strengthened their chances to get their hands on the T20 WC trophy with Babar back at the helm of affairs. He added, "Shaheen didn't set the world on fire as a leader either, so I think going back into a World Cup it just looks like a more settled team when you've got someone like Babar as captain rather than Afridi."

Babar-led Pakistan kickoff their T20 WC campaign on Thursday (June 6), against USA at Dallas. They are placed in Group A along with arch-rivals India, USA, Canada and Ireland.