3 reasons why Babar Azam stepping down as Pakistan's all-format skipper is the right move
Babar Azam recently announced his decision to step down as Pakistan's all-format captain. It came in the aftermath of the team's disappointing run in the ongoing 2023 World Cup.
Pakistan failed to make the semi-finals of the World Cup for the third edition in a row, and the pressure had been mounting on their skipper. All-format captains are gradually becoming a thing of the past, given the demands of the modern game, and it was only a matter of time before Babar took a step back.
Pakistan did reach the No.1 spot in the ICC white-ball rankings during Babar's tenure, but it is probably the right time for the PCB to look elsewhere due to a variety of factors.
Here are three reasons why Babar Azam stepping down as Pakistan's all-format captain is the right move.
#3 Tactically, Babar Azam has been way off the mark
This is a piece of criticism that was leveled at Babar Azam throughout his captaincy tenure. Both in franchise cricket and at the international level, the 29-year-old has often been way off the mark with his tactical decisions.
The 2023 World Cup offered plenty of instances of the same. Pakistan's leadership group seemed to be on different wavelengths during matches, while there was plenty of inconsistency in team selection and role assignment.
The manner in which Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed were wrongly used in the middle order, coupled with curious decisions while bringing fast bowlers into the attack, lent weight to the belief that Babar wasn't taking into account some obvious numbers.
In an era where analytics are striving to drive cricket at the highest level, Babar and Pakistan haven't been able to keep up. And even with on-field decisions, he didn't inspire enough confidence.
#2 Babar Azam can now focus on his batting
Babar Azam is one of the world's best all-format batters, but he hasn't been able to express himself in recent times. His lack of intent at the top of the order in T20Is, an issue that has extended to his ODI batting as well, has greatly hampered Pakistan's chances.
In the 2023 World Cup, Babar managed just 320 runs at an average of 40.00 and an abysmal strike rate of 82.90. He failed to stamp his authority in pressure situations and fell victim to plenty of soft dismissals.
Without the pressure of leadership hanging over his head, Babar should be able to bat with a bit more freedom and become the world-beater we all know he can be. He will also be able to devote more time towards rectifying the few technical issues that seem to be creeping into his batting.
#1 The results haven't justified Babar Azam staying
At the end of the day, any captain needs to produce results that merit the ability of the team. Unfortunately for Babar Azam, Pakistan were clearly underwhelming with him at the helm.
The Men in Green have had disappointing campaigns in the World Cup and the Asia Cup in the second half of 2023. They did make the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup, but the brand of cricket they played in the tournament was far from appealing.
Pakistan have won only one of their last five Test series, with disappointing results at home against New Zealand and England, where they failed to win even one of five matches.
Since Babar was appointed the Test skipper in late 2020, they have played 10 Test series, and the only teams they have beaten are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Having failed to live up to their potential across formats, Babar's Pakistan were always going to need a change in leadership.