Azhar Ali might not be the most dynamic option for captaincy in one day cricket. He is predominantly a dependable Test cricketer.

But he has led a domestic team to a final on 3 occasions since 2013 in either 50 or 20 over tournaments.

He might not have the versatility of Misbah ul Haq in six hitting and going through the gears. He doesn't play spin as confidently and skilfully as Misbah ul Haq.

But he is marginally better than Misbah at playing pace and handling the new ball. Also, as his List A record shows Azhar seems to have the ability to score big. 

He is a good smart defensive cricketer who operates within his limitations, but I do believe he can evolve his game. He has already shown glimpses as his Test career has progressed. 

Off field captaincy wise, I think Azhar will be a better communicator than Misbah and a more impressive communicator during English press conferences and presentation ceremonies. With all due respect, Misbah's tone can be monotonous. 

However, can he handle the bashing and the criticism? That remains to be seen. Because like Misbah, Azhar is not one who plays for the galleries and won't get the fame and limelight. Hence, he will be targeted. He would do very well to match Misbah here. This might be his biggest challenge.

He was always going to be Test captain at some point and it makes sense to give him some captaincy experience at international level in one day cricket before he takes over as Test captain in the future. One day cricket is where you can experiment and try out new things outside the major tournaments.

Misbah - only 19 Tests when made Test Captain.

Azhar - 39 Tests when made ODI captain.

He might not have played enough of that format, but he has played enough international cricket and is a proven international performer.