Babar Azam, in a momentous decision, declared his resignation as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team across all formats, a move unveiled on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This proclamation followed a meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Interim Management Committee Chairman, Zaka Ashraf, in Lahore.
The PCB, acknowledging Babar’s leadership in Test cricket, urged him to continue in that role while relinquishing the captaincy in white-ball cricket. Babar, reflecting on his tenure, expressed gratitude for the opportunity bestowed upon him in 2019, acknowledging the myriad challenges faced on and off the field during the past four years.
While attaining the pinnacle in white-ball cricket, Babar credited the collective efforts of players, coaches, and management. However, he chose this juncture to step down, citing it as the right time. Despite not explicitly citing reasons, the decision follows Pakistan’s lackluster performance in the World Cup, where they suffered defeats, including a notable loss to India.
In a notable reshuffle, Shan Masood was appointed Test captain, and Shaheen Shah Afridi assumed leadership of the T20 side. Additionally, former Test captain Mohammad Hafeez was designated as the team director.
Babar’s meeting with PCB chief Zaka Ashraf was described as cordial, with the latter acknowledging Babar as a world-class player. Ashraf emphasized the desire to see Babar thrive without the additional burden of captaincy, praising his dedication and skill.
Reacting to Babar’s decision, the new T20 captain, Shaheen, lauded his exemplary leadership, while fellow teammates, including Muhammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmad, expressed gratitude for his captaincy.
Former cricketers, including Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz, applauded Babar’s achievements, terming it the end of an era for Pakistan cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) echoed this sentiment.
In the aftermath of Pakistan’s World Cup performance, former players, including Younis Khan, Wahab Riaz, and Sohail Tanvir, advised against wholesale changes, urging a focus on red-ball cricket. There were discussions about potential coaching assignments for former captain Younis Khan to mentor young talents in Karachi.
This development comes on the heels of bowling coach Morne Morkel’s departure from Pakistan’s coaching staff following the team’s failure to reach the World Cup semi-finals earlier this week. The PCB is set to announce the new coaching staff for the upcoming series in Australia and New Zealand in due course.
