Babar Azam as captain again? Pakistan star opens up on fresh prospects

Babar Azam has kept the door open for a return as Pakistan captain, stating he will do what's best for the team. Under Babar, Peshawar Zalmi have advanced to the PSL final where they will face Marnus Labuschagne's Hyderabad Kingsmen.

In Short

• Babar Azam has already stepped down twice as Pakistan captain
• Babar has led Peshawar Zalmi to the final of PSL 2026
• Babar has racked up 588 runs for the Zalmi in the ongoing tournament

Pakistan batter Babar Azam has opened up on the prospects of returning as skipper of the national team. Babar has had two stints as Pakistan captain, both of which didn’t end on a happy note. However, on the back of his impressive showing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026, talks of Babar returning as Pakistan captain have emerged.

Under Babar, Peshawar Zalmi have progressed to the final of the PSL, where they will face Hyderabad Kingsmen on Sunday, May 3 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Babar remained focused on the PSL final but kept the door open for a return as Pakistan skipper if the team requires him in the future.

"The issue of captaincy is another thing right now I am just focussing on the Pakistan Super League final. But if in 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.

Babar first stepped down as captain across formats after Pakistan failed to advance to the ODI World Cup semi-finals on Indian soil. Thereafter, in October 2024, he relinquished the limited-overs captaincy after Pakistan couldn’t progress beyond the group stage of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.

BABAR AZAM HAVING DREAM PSL

For Zalmi, Babar has been impressive as captain. They remained unbeaten in their first nine matches, winning eight, while one game against Islamabad United was abandoned. They then defeated United by 70 runs in the Qualifier and are now eyeing their second title since 2017.

Babar has thrived as a batter while leading, scoring 588 runs in the tournament at an average of 84 and a strike-rate of 146.26, equalling Fakhar Zaman’s all-time record for the most runs in a single PSL edition.

He also became only the second batter after Usman Khan to score two centuries in the same PSL season. With his fourth century in the league, Babar is now level with Usman Khan on the all-time list of centurions in the PSL.

- Ends