Following the poor performance of Pakistan’s rather forgettable World Cup 2023 campaign, Babar Azam has quit captaincy in all formats of the sport. As Pakistan’s World Cup campaign went poorly, Babar faced criticism and came under the scanner during their defeat to Afghanistan. Runs also didn’t come from his bat, as he managed only 320 runs in the tournament which came at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 82.90. However, Pakistan won only four of the nine league-stage games as well.
Notably, Babar took over Pakistan’s white-ball captaincy in 2019, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed. He was handed the Test reins in 2021 as well. Under his leadership, Pakistan reached the final of the Asia Cup as well as the T20 World Cup in 2022. However, Babar has announced his decision on his official X account as well.
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“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,” Babar wrote in his post. “I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. 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.”
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) November 15, 2023
“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 further added. “Reaching the no.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.”
However, Babar Azam made this decision after a poor World Cup campaign in India where the PCB chief had to deny rifts within the team. Moreover, chief selector Inzamam Ul Haq also had to quit because of an investigation into allegations of conflict of interest in the World Cup squad selection process as well. Pakistan started their World Cup with two wins – against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka – but failed to maintain the winning momentum with four defeats. They won over Bangladesh and New Zealand but it proved insufficient as more defeats cost them the tournament.
