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Babar Azam (Source-Twitter)
Babar Azam has stood down as the Pakistan skipper across all three formats. This move comes after Pakistan’s failure to reach the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup 2023. The men in green ended the group phase stage in the 5th place after winning just two games.
This news was expected after the 29-year-old reached Pakistan a few days ago. There has been massive pressure on Babar Azam to step down from the captaincy. Many of the former Pakistan players had called for the 29-year-old to stand down to start a new era.
Former Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir had suggested three different captains for all the formats. Imad Wasim for T20, Shan Masood for ODI, and Sarfaraz Ahmed for test cricket were the names picked by the 31-year-old.
Babar Azam steps down from captaincy –
29-year-old Babar Azam took to Twitter to announce his decision to stand down as the Pakistani skipper. On Thursday Babar Azam released a statement on the social media website which did not shock or surprise a lot of fans.
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) November 15, 2023
The statement from Babar Azam read “I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019. Over the past four years, I have 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”
Reaching the number 1 spot in the white ball format was the 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 the journey”
Babar Azam then wrote “Today, I am stepping down as the captain of the Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is the right time for this call. 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 since thanks to the PCB for entrusting me with this significant responsibility”
It was under Babar Azam that Pakistan beat India in the T20 World Cup for the first time. The men in green reached the semi-finals in 2021 and the finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup. In the ODI format, Pakistan reached world number 1 just before the start of the 2023 Asia Cup tournament.