Babar Azam, a batsman, resigned from his position as white-ball cricket captain on Wednesday, although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) acknowledged that he still had a lot to provide the squad.
In a late-night tweet on Tuesday, Babar declared his plan to retire. He stated that being captain had put a lot of work on him and that it was time for him to concentrate on his duty as a player.
Prior to leading the Test and ODI teams in 2020, he was appointed captain of the T20 team in 2019. Babar left his position in November of last year following Pakistan’s poor performance in both the 50-over World Cup and the Asia Cup. He had been replaced as the T20 captain by Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shan Masood had taken over as the team’s Test captain.
Following the PCB’s announcement in March that Babar will captain the Green Shirts in ODIs and T20s as part of a “strategic move,” Babar took back control of the men’s cricket squad. Earlier this year, in the opening round of the T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, the Babar-led team was decisively defeated.
Although it had supported Babar as the white-ball captain, the PCB stated in a news release today that his decision to resign “reflects his desire to focus more on making a greater impact as a player.”
It also stated that his choice was a “benchmark of his professionalism and dedication to Pakistani cricket.” He feels that if he puts all of his effort into his hitting, he will be able to contribute more significantly to the team’s success in the shorter formats.
“Babar’s contributions as white-ball captain, his capacity to put the needs of the team first, and his unwavering commitment to Pakistan cricket are acknowledged by the PCB.” As a world-class hitter and a senior member of the squad, Babar Azam still has a lot to offer, and the PCB will continue to support him.
The PCB announced that it has assigned the national selection committee the responsibility of initiating the process of devising plans for future white-ball cricket matches, which included suggesting a new captain.
Babar, meanwhile, declared that his “greatest honor” had always been representing his nation while playing.
“I’ve always put the success of the team above everything else,” he continued. Resigning as captain will enable me to contribute even more to the club as a player, and I’m determined to follow that route. What counts most is the team’s performance.
I’ve had the honor of leading Pakistan for five incredible years, always attempting to provide my all in both the captaincy and on the field. At this point, I firmly feel that focusing on my batting will allow me to have a greater influence. I am appreciative of my players’, coaches’, and PCB’s unwavering support during my captaincy.
“Leading Pakistan has been an incredible honor, but it’s time for me to focus entirely on my batting and the team’s goals during this transitional period. I also want to support the new captain and our developing players as we get ready for a big season that includes our home-court defence of the ICC Champions Trophy next year.”
The reorganization follows a run of appalling results by the national teams in limited-over and Test formats. The PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, stated last month that decisions pertaining to the troubled captains, Shan and Babar, would be reached later this month via meetings with key stakeholders.
Pakistan’s terrible performances in international cricket over the past year or two have drawn harsh criticism for both Babar and red-ball captain Shan.
A severe examination of the team makeup and the performance of both captains, who have been found wanting on multiple critical occasions, have been called for as a result of the terrifying series of disasters by all interested parties.
Unverified rumors surfaced that Babar and Shan were scheduled to be fired prior to Pakistan’s next overseas deployment. Mohammad Rizwan, a batter and wicketkeeper, was allegedly being considered for captaincy across all formats.
Even though Shan lost his first five Test matches as captain, he will still be leading Pakistan in the forthcoming series against England.
