Babar Azam has once again stepped down from the captaincy of Pakistan’s cricket team. Previously, after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the 2023 World Cup, the cricket superstar had resigned from the captaincy. He was later reinstated as the captain for limited-overs cricket. Late Tuesday night, he announced his decision to step down from leadership once again.
He stated, “It has been an honor to lead this team, but now it is time to step aside and focus on my role as a player.”
Babar mentioned that captaincy was an “inspiring experience” but admitted it had put significant pressure on him.
At one point, Babar Azam captained Pakistan in all three formats. However, after the 2023 World Cup, he stepped down from the role. Shaheen Afridi was appointed as the captain for white-ball cricket. Yet, before the T20 World Cup, Babar was reappointed to his old position, which caused unrest within the team. Shan Masood was given the Test captaincy but lost all five matches he led, including two recent defeats to Bangladesh on home soil. Babar himself had a disappointing performance in that series, which contributed to his decision to relinquish the captaincy once more.
On Tuesday, the cricket superstar shared on social media, “I have informed the PCB of my decision. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Pakistan cricket team. Captaincy is a great honor, but it also adds immense pressure. I now want to focus on my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family.”
Currently, Pakistan cricket is in a state of severe disarray, and Babar has removed himself from the turmoil. Babar’s close friend, Mohammad Rizwan, is a potential candidate to take over as the new leader in white-ball cricket.
