- Ricky Ponting believes team is more settled with Babar Azam as captain.
- Ponting thinks Babar's experience as captain has helped him improve.
- He sees Ayub as a potential star for Pakistan in the future.
Following a temporary leadership role by Shaheen Afridi, Babar resumed his position as the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball team. Ponting is of the view that Pakistan stands a better chance of surpassing their second-place achievement in the 2022 T20 World Cup and emulating their victory in 2009 with Babar leading the squad.
“Captaincy just sits well with some people and it doesn’t sit well with others,” Ponting shared with The ICC Review.
“It’s been observed over time that not all of the greatest players have been the most effective captains. What distinguishes the very best players is their intense focus on personal improvement and striving to be the best each day.
“Taking on the captaincy role means you can’t solely focus on that. You need to balance your own game while also supporting your teammates. This is something that some handle better than others.
“My initial impression of Babar was that he… you could see his performance dipped initially. It seems he may have gleaned some insights from that experience.
“Shaheen didn’t quite make a significant impact in his leadership stint, so with the World Cup on the horizon, the team just seems more stable with Babar as captain instead of Afridi.”
Ponting also highlighted the potential of a promising young player, Saim Ayub, who recently opened with Mohammad Rizwan in the T20I series against Ireland. Ponting lauded Ayub as a “real star in the making,” acknowledging his notable performances in the PSL.
“I was quite taken with Ayub’s performance during the Australian summer,” Ponting recalled.
"He was part of that Test match in Sydney, and at that time, I wasn’t too familiar with him.
"As a commentator, I’m keen to understand players’ capabilities, so I took the time to review some of his PSL highlights.
“He’s definitely got talent. I see him as a real star in the making.”
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