Mickey Arthur has backed Babar Azam for the Test captaincy after making his case to the Pakistan board for two more years at the helm, according to reports.
The PCB committee have been busy reviewing Arthur’s performance over the past three years as they decide on whether to extend the South African’s contract.
Arthur has certainly produced a mixed bag of results – from the high of the 2017 Champions Trophy final win over India and becoming the top-ranked team in T20s, to poor performances in Tests and most recently failing to reach the World Cup semi-finals in England.
According to the Indian Express, Arthur said he could deliver ‘remarkable years’ if given another two years, with his current contract set to expire on August 15.
Arthur also offered his own recommendations during a presentation to the committee – namely sacking Sarfraz as captain of all three teams, having said some ‘negative things’ about the wicket-keeper’s leadership skills.
The report went on to say that the 51-year-old put forward star batsman Azam for the Test captaincy and 20-year-old all-rounder Shadab Khan for the limited-overs formats.
Pakistan do not play again until their tour of Australia, which starts with the first of three T20s on November 3.
