PCB to hold crucial meeting on possible captaincy changes

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to convene a significant "Connection Camp" on September 22, aimed at charting the future course of Pakistan cricket. 

This high-profile meeting will bring together the PCB’s top officials, including white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, heads of high-performance centers, senior cricketers, board officials, and both international and domestic directors. The camp will be presided over by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

The meeting comes in the wake of recent coaching and leadership evaluations. Kirsten returned to his home country after submitting a detailed report to the PCB in July, while Gillespie departed for Australia following the Bangladesh Test series. 

The "Connection Camp" will serve as a platform for discussions on critical decisions, including potential changes in team leadership.

Sources indicate that separate meetings will be held for the red ball and white ball coaches to deliberate on their respective formats. Among the key topics on the agenda will be the potential replacement of captains for the shorter and longer formats of the game. 

There is considerable speculation about a change in the white ball captaincy, with wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan emerging as a strong contender. Additionally, the captaincy of Test skipper Shan Masood will be reviewed.

The PCB's recent decision to overlook Babar Azam for the Champions One-Day Cup has fueled speculation that his tenure as captain may be under review. The possibility of appointing a new captain for the one-day international and T20I formats is high, with changes expected ahead of Pakistan's tour to Australia in November.

Sources suggest that if Rizwan's name is discussed and accepted, he could be appointed as captain across all three formats in the future.