Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan captain for the second time in 10 monthsÂ
Babar Azam has stepped down as Pakistan's white-ball captain following a disastrous second reign after taking over from Shaheen Afridi earlier this year. The ace batter had initially resigned as captain across all formats after the Men in Green's exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. However, he was reinstated in the white-ball formats following a change in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) leadership.
Babar Azam returned to lead the side in the home T20I series against New Zealand in April, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate. His second stint also included the tour of Ireland and England, but the unfortunate highlight was Pakistan's humiliating group stage exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup. Under Babar, the team lost to the United States of America (USA) and India to miss out on the Super 8s stage of the tournament.
There was intense scrutiny regarding Babar Azam's position after the shambolic show in the Caribbean and the United States. However, no immediate decision was taken, despite candidates like Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan being touted as potential successors.
Babar Azam announced his decision to step down as captain with a post on social media on Wednesday, October 2, where he said that he was unable to manage the workload anymore, and instead wanted to contribute at his best as a batter.
"I'm sharing some news with you today. I have decided to resign as captain of the Pakistan men's cricket team, effective as of my notification to the PCB and Team Management last month. It's been an honour to lead this team, but it's time for me to step down and focus on my playing role," Babar wrote.
"Captaincy has been a rewarding experience, but it's added a significant workload. I want to prioritize my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy. By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth," he added.
Pakistan's next white-ball contest is in the form of a three-match ODI and T20I series against Australia away from home. The Men in Green also have white-ball affairs lined up against Zimbabwe and South Africa to conclude the year. Early phases of 2025 will witness a tri-series involving New Zealand and South Africa, followed by the Champions Trophy on home soil.
Babar Azam's potential successor will have a huge task on his hands
No decision has been made by the PCB over the new white-ball captain so far. The chosen candidate will have to lift up the side from near rock-bottom and work with Gary Kirsten to revamp the squad personnel and mentality-wise.
Across two stints, Babar Azam's captaincy record reads 26 wins out of 43 ODI matches, and 48 wins in 85 T20I appearances as skipper.