Babar Azam Steps Down As PCT White-Ball Captain

Pakistan’s former white-ball captain Babar Azam took the world by a storm when he announced his decision to step down as Pakistan team’s captain. 

Babar announced his shocking decision on his social media platforms. In his statement, he added that he’ll be focusing more on his role as a player.

This is what the star batter’s statement looked like: 

“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 honor to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus on my playing role. 

Babar Azam termed his time as Pakistan captain a rewarding experience but claimed it added workload for the star batter, who wants to enjoy his batting.

“Captaincy has been a rewarding experience, but it’s added a significant workload. I want to prioritize my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy.

“By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth.

“I’m grateful for your unwavering support and belief in me. Your enthusiasm has meant the world to me.

“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited to continue contributing to the team as a player.

“Thank you for your love and support.”

It’s worth noting that this was Babar’s second tenure as Pakistan team’s captain. His first tenure ended back in November 2023 after Pakistan’s dismissal from the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. 

He gave up Pakistan team’s captaincy across all formats but was reinstated as the captain of ODI and T20I in March 2024. 

He led Pakistan in three bilateral T20I series against New Zealand, Ireland and England respectively before captaining the former champions in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Once T20 World Cup Champions, the Men in Green had to bow out of this year’s tournament after their horrendous performances against debutant USA and arch-rivals India. 

Babar Azam received a lot of criticism regarding his captaincy and the team’s overall performance. 

Recently, veteran cricketer Zaheer Abbas called for Babar’s exclusion from the squad due to his consistently bad performances. 

Keeping captaincy aside, Babar hasn’t been having a good time in his career. His below-par performance during the PAK vs BAN test series and subsequent failures in the Champions One Day cup added insult to injury. 

Babar’s decision to quit captaincy could very well be the result of constant criticism that he was receiving from former cricketers and other important people in the cricket fraternity. 

Now that Babar has vacated the captaincy spot, it’ll be interesting to see who’s going to replace him and pick up the reins of the vulnerable Pakistan cricket team.