Pakistan's recent performances have raised concerns. After reaching the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup, their performance has declined.
In the 2023 world cup in India, they failed to reach the semifinals. The 2024 T20 World Cup was even worse, with losses to the United States and failure to qualify for the Super 8.
Former cricketer Younis Khan has proposed a change in Pakistan's cricket leadership. He suggests Fakhar Zaman as a potential replacement for Babar Azam in white-ball cricket. Younis believes Zaman's performance and dedication make him a suitable candidate for captaincy.
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The poor performances from Pakistan team have put Babar Azam's captaincy under question. Younis Khan, speaking on PTV Sports, questioned why Zaman couldn't be the captain. "Why can’t Fakhar Zaman be the captain? Isn’t he a performer?" Younis asked.
How does Fakhar Zaman compare to Babar Azam?
Lets' take a look at how Zaman compares to Babar in T20Is.
| Player | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
| Fakhar Zaman | 84 | 1848 | 91 | 22.81 | 132.94 | 0 | 11 |
| Babar Azam | 116 | 4145 | 122 | 41.03 | 129.08 | 3 | 36 |
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While the stats doesn't show great numbers for Zaman in T20Is, it's Babar's slow batting style coupled with poor captaincy in the current World Cup, that has led to fingers being pointed on him.
Zaman, however, had played well in the 2023 World Cup, especially in the second half, which helped Pakistan stay in contention. Despite his good form, he has often been moved down the order in T20 matches. In the recent T20 World Cup, he batted at four but only managed 33 runs in four games.
Younis also suggested Naseem Shah as a potential captain. He compared Shah to South Africa’s Graeme Smith, who became a successful captain at a young age.
The debate over Pakistan's cricket captaincy continues. Younis Khan’s suggestions of Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah as replacements show that changes might be on the horizon for the team.
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