Pakistani team captain Babar Azam resigns.
After he is allegedly removed from the T20 and ODI captaincy by the PCB, Babar decides to step down from the position.
In an expected development, Pakistan skipper Babrar Azam on Wednesday announced stepping down as captain of all formats following the dismal performance of the national team in World Cup 2023.
The announcement comes after Babar met Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee chief Zaka Ashraf where he was reportedly offered to retain captaincy for red-ball cricket.
During the 45-minute-long meeting, the duo discussed the team’s performance in the World Cup 2023, sources told Geo News.
Following the meeting, Babar took to X to announce his decision in a detailed post.
“I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019.
Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in the cricket world,” he wrote on X.
Babar, despite being just 29 years old, has had an illustrious career, and he remained the top-ranked ODI batter for more than two years.
The ex-skipper was the only batter to achieve the top three positions across all formats.
He said reaching the number 1 spot in the white-ball format was a result of the collective efforts of players, coaches, and management “but I’d like to express my gratitude to passionate Pakistan cricket fans for their unwavering support during this journey”.
“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call,” he said.
The start batter said he will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats saying, “I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication.”
“I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD,” he added.
New captains?
The PCB has not revealed the names of potential candidates who will replace the 29-year-old, but Shan Masood is likely to be appointed as a captain for the Australia Tour, while Shaheen Shah Afridi will take the realm in the T20I series against New Zealand.
Shaheen might also lead the Green Shirts in next year’s T20 World Cup, the sources said.
Babar was appointed white-ball captain in 2019 and as Test skipper in 2020, but the Green Shirts have not won any ICC or Asia Cup titles under his leadership.
Although the Pakistan team went into the World Cup ranked as the top side, they failed to prove their mettle and crashed out of the tournament in the group stage.
They created multiple unwanted records as the team lost four consecutive matches and five overall in the mega event, for the first time in Pakistan’s history.
Apart from that, Babar’s batting performance fell short of his expectations as the right-hander only amassed 320 runs in nine World Cup matches at a 40.00 average with a strike rate of 82.90.
It should be mentioned that the World Cup 2023 was Azam’s fifth tournament as a captain following the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2022 and 2023 Asia Cup, where the team failed to win any silverware.
As a result, they set multiple unwanted records.
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