Mohsin Naqvi and Babar Azam [Source: AFP]The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently made a major announcement by reappointing Babar Azam as Pakistan’s Test captain. However, a fresh report has revealed that Babar accepted the role only after placing an important condition before the selectors. According to the report, the star batter wants to become Pakistan’s captain across all three formats, and that demand could eventually see him leading the side in 2027 ODI World Cup.Notably, Babar had previously stepped down as Pakistan’s all-format captain in November 2023. Since then, the PCB has tried different captains across formats.Babar Azam Wants All-Format CaptaincyAccording to a report by Telecom Asia Sport, two Pakistan selectors met Babar Azam before announcing him as the Test captain on July 5. During the meeting, Babar reportedly agreed to take charge of the Test team only if he was also considered for captaincy in ODIs and T20Is."Two selectors met Babar before the announcement of the Test captain on July 5 as they had no option other than Babar for red-ball captaincy and Babar accepted the role on condition of getting the captaincy in the other two formats as well," sources told www.telecomasia.net.Sources quoted in the report said that Babar has always wanted to lead Pakistan in all three formats instead of handling just one team.How Babar Could Lead Pakistan In 2027 ODI World CupThe report further stated that the PCB has not immediately handed Babar leadership in all formats. Instead, the board has reportedly set a performance-based condition.Notably, Pakistan are currently playing Test series against West Indies, followed by a challenging five-Test assignment against England. If the team performs well in these matches under Babar’s leadership, the selectors are expected to consider handing him captaincy in all all formats.If that happens, Babar Azam could also become Pakistan’s captain for 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa and Zimbabwe."Babar had always wanted to be sole captain of Pakistan in all three formats, and when he put that condition, the selectors told him that if the team does well in the West Indies and England over five Tests, then he will get the all-format captaincy," sources were quoted as saying in the report.Also Read: Babar Azam Sets All-Time High Record On Test Captaincy Return For PakistanWhy PCB Returned To Babar AzamIt is important to note that the PCB reportedly took nearly two months before deciding to replace Shan Masood. Since taking charge in December 2023, Masood captained Pakistan in 16 Tests and lost 12 of them, leading to growing pressure on the board to make a leadership change.Interestingly, the selectors first approached Salman Agha for the role. However, he declined the offer as he didn't want to lead a team struggling with consistency and performances.The report also added that when Babar stepped down as captain in 2023, he had rejected an offer to lead in only one format. He reportedly made it clear that he either wanted all-format captaincy or none at all.Babar Azam vs Shaheen Afridi: ODI Captaincy RecordWhen it comes to experience, Babar Azam enjoys a significant advantage. Notably, he has captained Pakistan in 43 ODI matches, winning 26, losing 15, with one tie and one no result. His ODI captaincy winning percentage stands at 60.46%.On the other hand, Shaheen Shah Afridi has led Pakistan in 11 ODIs, winning 7 and losing 4, giving him a winning percentage of 63.63%.Although Shaheen has a slightly better win percentage, Babar has captained Pakistan in far more matches and has considerably greater leadership experience. Adding to his credentials, Babar recently guided Peshawar Zalmi to the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026) title while also contributing heavily with the bat. Also Read: Fact Check- Is Ruturaj Gaikwad Leaving CSK Before IPL 2027?
