Babar Azam relinquishes Pakistan captaincy in late-night post: 'I want to prioritize my performance'

Babar Azam relinquishes Pakistan captaincy in late-night post

Babar Azam on Wednesday announced that he has stepped down as the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team. Babar made the announcement in a late night post on X. "Dear fans, 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," the batter wrote.

Babar noted that captaincy has been a rewarding experience for him but added that the responsibility has led to 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 said.

Dear Fans,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
Babar Azam (@babarazam258) October 1, 2024

Babar's decision to step down from the captaincy raises questions about the future leadership of the team. The prolific batter was earlier sacked by the PCB as the Test captain, with Shan Masood taking over the responsibility.

He was also forced to relinquish captaincy in the shorter format after a poor show in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Then Shaheen Shah Afridi had taken over the role but Babar was reinstated as the skipper after just one series.

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Under Babar's leadership, Pakistan had below average outings in the previous two ICC tournaments (2023 ODI World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup) - where the team made a first round exits. Babar's biggest achievement as a captain is to lead Pakistan to a runners-up finish at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where they lost the finals against England. Between 2019 and 2024, Babar has led Pakistan in 20 Tests, 43 ODIs, and 85 T20Is.

The announcement also comes amid a challenging phase for the Pakistani cricket team and follows significant scrutiny over performance and workload.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to announce Babar's successor.