Babar Azam Steps Down as Pakistan’s White-Ball Captain

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In a surprising turn of events, Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has stepped down as the captain of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams. Babar announced his decision on social media, revealing that he informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and team management in September.

Babar Azam Decision to Focus on Batting

Babar mentioned that the responsibilities of captaincy had added a heavy workload. By stepping down, he hopes to channel his energy into improving his batting and contributing to the team in a different way. His resignation came shortly after he slipped out of the top 10 in the ICC Test rankings. The star batter has been going through a challenging phase.

A Year of Leadership Changes

This is the second time in less than a year that Babar has resigned from captaincy. After Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, where they failed to reach the knockout stages, Babar initially stepped down from leading in all formats. However, a leadership change in the PCB saw him reinstated as the white-ball captain earlier this year.

His decision to resign comes after Pakistan’s poor run in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage following losses to India and the USA. Pakistan’s campaign was marred by rumours of a rift within the team, and newly appointed head coach Gary Kirsten’s first assignment ended in disappointment.

Shaheen Afridi’s Brief Captaincy

Earlier this year, Shaheen Afridi replaced Babar as the T20I captain but was removed after just one series against New Zealand. Babar’s former teammate, Imad Wasim, also expressed surprise when Babar was reappointed as captain earlier in 2024.

While Babar will no longer lead the white-ball teams, he has been included in the Test squad for the upcoming three-match series against England. The first Test begins on October 7 in Multan.

Meanwhile, Test captain Shan Masood is also under pressure following Pakistan’s shock series loss to Bangladesh at home. In a press conference ahead of the England series, Shan faced tough questions from reporters, who questioned his leadership after the team’s poor performance. This series will be Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as Pakistan’s Test coach.

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