Last Update on: November 15th, 2023 at 07:25 pm
In a major development, the Pakistan National Cricket Team all-format captain Babar Azam has stepped down from his position across all three formats of the game following the World Cup debacle.
The decision comes after the poor performance of Team Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The Men In Green were expected to dominate in both competitions considering their strong team and the familiar sub-continent conditions. However, they performed poorly.
The Babar Azam & Co. finished at the 4th and last position on the Asia Cup Super Four stage points table and in the 5th position in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table, with just 4 wins.
Pakistan started off their World Cup 2023 on high, thoroughly winning back-to-back matches. But after that, they went on a 4-match losing streak, which jeopardized their semi-final chances.
In their last World Cup 2023 group stage game, the Men In Green needed to chase down the target of 338 runs against England in 6.4 overs to overtake the Net Run Rate of New Zealand and seal a semi-final spot. However, they only managed to score 30/2 after 6.4 overs, to get knocked out of the competition. In the end, they faced a 93-run loss in the game.
Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats – Babar Azam
Babar Azam took to his official X handle to state that he has experienced many highs and lows during his tenure as the all-format captain of Team Pakistan. Babar Azam credited the team management, coaches, and players for Pakistan reaching the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings under his tenure.
He further announced that he was stepping down as captain and stated that he was ready to provide all his support to the newly appointed skipper of the side. Babar Azam elaborated:
“I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019. Over the past 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.
“Reaching the number 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.
“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call. I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication. I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.”
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) November 15, 2023
Under Babar Azam’s leadership, Pakistan played 43 ODIs and won 26 while losing 15. In T20Is, Babar Azam led Pakistan to 42 wins out of 71 matches with the side suffering losses in 23 matches. Also, he led Pakistan in 20 Tests, out of which the side won 10 and lost 6.
