On Wednesday, Babar Azam announced a declaration that he will no longer be captain of Pakistan cricket in all formats.
He announced the news on the social media site X, which was formerly known as Twitter, just after he met Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the PCB’s interim management committee, in Lahore.
“I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019,” Babar said in his statement. I have experienced many highs and lows in the last four years, both on and off the field, but only one goal has been to maintain Pakistan’s respect and status in the cricket world.
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” led him to state the top rank in white-ball cricket, he said.
“I am resigning as Pakistan’s captain in all formats as of today. Although I think this is the right moment for this call, it is a difficult decision. I’ll be playing in all three formats for Pakistan coming forward. With my experience and dedication, I’m here to help the team and the new captain,” he stated.
“I want to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board from the bottom of my heart for giving me this significant responsibility,” Babar said in conclusion.
Before leading the Test and ODI teams in 2020, Babar was named the T20 captain in 2019.
Babar’s decision to step down was made after the team’s poor World Cup performance, though he was unable to give a specific reason.
In front of more than 100,000 fans in Ahmedabad, the Green Shirts lost five of their nine games, including a seven-wicket defeat at the Stadium of India. Afghanistan also caused Pakistan’s initial loss.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said, “End of an era for Pakistan,” in reply to Babar’s decision.
Babar had also seen the PCB chief in Lahore earlier today. Television footage had shown journalists and fans pestering Babar’s car as he sped away from the PCB headquarters at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Ashraf had also met with head coach Grant Bradburn, team director Mickey Arthur, and other members of the interim management committee, according to a shoutmeplz.com correspondent.
Ashraf was seen by former captain Younis Khan, as well as former pacers Wahab Riaz and Sohail Tanvir, on Tuesday. The PCB initiated an inquest into Pakistan’s World Cup performance and its preparations for the upcoming Test series against Australia.
The former players had also told the PCB chief that they should focus on red-ball cricket since ODI cricket was not expected to be a priority for the years to come. It was also rumored that Younis would be given a coaching role to nurture young players in Karachi.
Recall that earlier this week, after Pakistan’s team lost to advance to the World Cup semifinals, bowling coach Morne Morkel became the first person from the country’s backroom staff to step down.
