Babar Azam resigns as Pakistan’s captain, cites workload among other concerns

After a lackluster performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Babar Azam resigned as Pakistan’s captain for all three game forms. After accepting his resignation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named Shan Masood as the Test squad captain and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20I skipper. But in a few of months, PCB reversed course and gave the baton to Babar in white-ball cricket once more, demoting Shaheen from the T20I captaincy after just one series.

Pakistan’s fortunes did not improve under Babar, as they were humiliated by the United States and India in the T20 World Cup 2024. Following Pakistan’s elimination from the competition’s group round, there were rumors that Babar had once again resigned as captain.

Babar Azam personally verified the development and chose to give up the captaincy in the early hours of October 2.

The 29-year-old gave an explanation of his decision, saying that he wants to concentrate on his workload and hitting in the upcoming months. Additionally, he talked about how difficult it got for him to spend more time with his family while serving as the national team captain.

“Hi there, fans Today, I have some news to share with you. With effect from my announcement to the PCB and Team Management last month, I have chosen to step down from my position as captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team. Although it has been an honor to captain our team, I must now resign in order to concentrate on my playing duties. Although it has increased workload significantly, captaincy has been a wonderful experience, Babar remarked on X, formerly Twitter.

“I want to put my performance first, enjoy batting, and do what makes me happy—spend time with my family. I’ll be able to go forward with more clarity and devote more of my energies to improving myself and my game by stepping down. I appreciate your resolute backing and faith in me.

Also Read: ‘Has a better record than Virat Kohli’: Shan Masood defends Abdullah Shafique amid poor performance

To me, your excitement has meant the world. I’m thrilled to keep playing for the squad and pleased of what we’ve accomplished together,” he continued.

Dear Fans,

I’m sharing some news with you today. I have decided to resign as captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, effective as of my notification to the PCB and Team Management last month.

It’s been an honour to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus…

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) October 1, 2024

Reports state that Mohammad Rizwan is the front-runner to succeed Babar in white-ball cricket. In the Pakistan Super League (PSL), he captained Lahore Qalandars, and he has a strong resume.