Pakistan captain Babar Azam, during a practice session. File
| Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K
Babar Azam on Wednesday announced his decision to step down as Pakistan captain from all formats of the game after his side’s debacle in the ICC World Cup 2023 in India.
The 28-year-old player has relinquished the captaincy role of the side from all formats, he made the announcement on X via a statement.
“I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from the PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019. Over the last four years, I’ve 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,” Babar wrote in a statement.
“Reaching the No.1 spot in the white-ball format was a 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 this journey,” he added.
“Today, I’m stepping down as the captain of Pakistan across all formats. It’s a difficult decision, but I feel it is the right time for this call. I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility.”
During Babar’s stint, Pakistan went to the No. 1 position in ODIs. Babar Azam-led ended their disastrous campaign in the WC with a debacle at the hands of England by 93 runs.
Babar had a dismal performance with Pakistan in the ICC World Cup in India, finishing fifth with eight points from nine matches. On a personal level, Babar scored 320 runs in nine World Cup matches, the third most for Pakistan, with an average of 40 and a strike rate of 82.90.
Pakistan suffered five defeats out of their nine matches and one at the hands of arch-rival India by seven wickets. In their last league match of the tournament, Men in Green started proceedings knowing that they had the slimmest of chances of still reaching the SFs, requiring a win by an enormous margin to force a gargantuan swing on net run rate. And the possibility of such a result soon disappeared as the 2019 champions England built towards a sizeable first-innings score and registered a 93-run win.
Earlier this week, Morne Morkel resigned as the bowling coach of the Pakistan Men’s team. The former South Africa fast bowler joined the Pakistan team on a six-month contract in June this year.