‘Babar Azam Will Perform Better Without Captaincy Pressure’ – Rashid Latif

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Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif believes Babar Azam is set to regain his batting form now that he has stepped down from captaincy duties. After a challenging run as skipper, Babar has decided to focus solely on his game, and Latif feels that this decision will help him thrive again with the bat.

Babar Resigns After World Cup Exit

Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan’s captain after the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup in India. This marks the second time in 10 months that he has relinquished the leadership role.

Though he returned as white-ball captain just before the T20 World Cup 2024, the decision did not pay off. Pakistan were knocked out in the group stage, and Babar struggled to find his usual rhythm with the bat.

Rashid Latif, however, remains optimistic about Babar’s future as a batter. He further explained that players like Mohammad Amir, Azam Khan, and Imad Wasim added pressure during the T20 World Cup, playing as they wanted. With them no longer in the squad, Latif feels Babar can focus solely on his performance.

“Babar took time to understand, but he made the right decision. Mohammad Amir, Azam Khan, and Imad Wasim kept him on their toes and played the T20 World Cup as they wanted to. Now they are not part of the team, and Babar’s time will come as he is away from the pressure of captaincy,” he said.

Babar Azam’s Captaincy Record

Despite the recent setbacks, Babar has an impressive record as Pakistan’s captain. Leading the team in 148 international matches, he secured 84 wins while suffering 50 losses. Under his leadership, Pakistan reached the semi-final and final of the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022.

Upcoming Series of Pakistan

Pakistan’s upcoming assignments include a tour to Australia, where they will play three ODIs and three T20Is. Before that, England will travel to Pakistan for a Test series, starting on October 7. All eyes will be on Babar Azam to see how he performs now that he is free from captaincy pressures.

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