3 times a captaincy change made headlines in the PSL ft. Sarfaraz Ahmed

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is one of the premier tournaments in the T20 cricketing calendar. For a country like Pakistan which is constantly facing various other challenges, the PSL has managed to carve out its niche and has evolved into a cultural phenomenon.

In a country marred by economic strife and political unrest, the PSL serves as an escape that provides people with some breathing space. However, the league, despite its sparkling cricket and a plethora of talent, continues to make headlines for both positive and negative reasons.

Pakistan is an emotional country, and decisions within the league are often met with mixed responses, as is the case with the recent developments surrounding Sarfraz Ahmed.

Here we take a look at 3 times a captaincy change made headlines in the PSL:

#3 Mohammad Rizwan replacing Shan Masood – Multan Sultans

Rizwan has been good as Multan's captain

Ahead of the 2021 season, Multan Sultans appointed wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan as their captain. He took over the mantle from Shan Masood, who led the side to the playoffs in the previous season.

Rizwan, who was part of Karachi Kings, the then defending champions, was picked up by the Multan-based team during the PSL 2021 draft and was also handed the captaincy of the side.

Before this appointment, Rizwan had a rather barren run in the PSL and was rarely used by the Kings in his favorable batting position. He played between No. 6 & 8 in 12 matches. However, he was given this role after a bright year in England and New Zealand and has since, led the side.

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#2 Babar Azam replacing Wahab Riaz – Peshawar Zalmi

Babar Azam took over from Wahab Riaz

This was another major development when Peshawar Zalmi appointed then-Pakistan captain Babar Azam as their new leader ahead of the 2023 season. He took over the mantle from Wahab Riaz ahead of the eighth season of the Pakistan Super League. Babar was brought in from Karachi Kings in a trade where Shoaib Malik and Haider Ali were exchanged for the right-hander.

Zalmi have been a consistent side – they bagged the title in 2017 and reached the finals in 2018, 2019, and 2021. They were also in the eliminator stage in 2020 and 2022. Wahab Riaz was the leader of the side and one of the top wicket-takers in the league. Although he was retained by the franchise, Babar took over the mantle as the captain of the side.

In 11 matches under Babar, Zalmi could only win five and they would be keen to be better this upcoming season.

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#1 Rilee Rossouw replacing Sarfraz Ahmed – Quetta Gladiators

Quetta has a new captain in PSL

Ahead of the ninth edition of the PSL, Rilee Rossouw has taken over captaincy for the Quetta Gladiators, succeeding Sarfaraz Ahmed. The left-handed Pakistani batter, Saud Shakeel, will be the team's vice-captain.

This is a big moment for Quetta since Sarfaraz has led the franchise since the inception of the league in 2016. Under him, Gladiators were the champions in 2019 and secured runner-up positions in 2016 and 2017.

However, the side stagnated over the four seasons, where they could not make it to the playoffs and this saw the management lose faith in Sarfaraz's leadership. Interestingly, Rossouw has never captained a side in professional T20 cricket but has been a dominant force with the bat in the PSL.

He has also been part of winning teams in the league when he won the title with the Gladiators in 2019 and with the Multan Sultans in 2020.