NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Babar Azam has stepped down as Pakistan cricket team skipper following his team’s disappointing run in the on-going Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan lost five out of their nine matches and failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Babar himself did not have a great outing in the tournament with 320 runs from 9 matches. The cricketer came under a lot of pressure from both experts and fans regarding his captaincy and his lack of form with the bat did not help matters. Shan Masood was appointed Test captain while Shaheen Shah Afridi took over as the T20I captain.
“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,” he posted on social media platform X on Wednesday.
“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,” he added.
(Manas Dasgupta)