Babar Azam ready to become Pakistan’s all-format captain once again

Babar Azam can get to the helm of the Pakistan cricket team again if he can win the Final of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL). Ahead of the tournament, reporters asked Babar whether he would return as the national team captain again if he won the PSL 2026 title.

Azam is only one step away from winning the PSL 2026 title with the Peshawar Zalmi. Tonight, they will be up against the debutant franchise, Hyderabad Kingsmen. If they outplay Kingsmen, Babar Azam and Co. will be the champions of the franchise.

Babar Azam is on the verge of winning the PSL 2026 title with the Peshawar Zalmi

Throughout the PSL 2026, Peshawar Zalmi, captained by Babar Azam, has dominated the league. They concluded their group phase as the table topper. In the play-offs, too, they have displayed a dominating performance. By winning the Qualifier, they straightaway enter the final by defeating the Islamabad United.

For the last few years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been in search of a set squad that can help them regain their glory days. The board has shuffled the squad, the coaching setup, and the leadership roles multiple times. But they are yet to find out the best combination.

Why Babar Azam left Pakistan's captaincy

Babar's first tenure as Pakistan captain ended in 2023 as the Pakistan National Team, under his leadership, failed to impress the board officials. Pakistan failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup semi-finals, finishing 5th with 4 wins and 5 losses, narrowly missing out on net run rate (NRR) behind New Zealand.

The margin of errors might not have been too much, due to massive pressure, the Azam stepped down from the role. However, a few months later, he was handed back the reins of the team, and he stepped down again. This time, Pakistan was knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the group stage.

Under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha, the national team played in a promising way, whether it was the Asia Cup 2025 or the 2026 T20 World Cup, but their campaign came to an halt again and again. In the T20 World Cup 2026, the Agha-led team crashed out of the title contention even after defeating Sri Lanka in a do-or-die match in the Super 8 stage.

Should PCB appoint Babar as the skipper of the national team?

Should PCB again appoint Babar Azam as the captain? The 31-year-old has been in terrific form with the bat as well. With a couple of centuries and three half-centuries, the opener of the Peshawar Zalmi has accumulated 588 runs in 10 PSL 2026 matches, averaging 84.00, with an amazing strike rate of 146.26.

"The captaincy issue is another thing right now; I am just focusing on the Pakistan Super League final. But if in the future such a situation arises, I will always do what is in the best interests of Pakistan cricket," Babar told reporters in a press conference ahead of the PSL 2026 final.

Read More: Mumbai Indians qualification scenario IPL 2026: Can MI still reach playoffs after loss to CSK?