Babar Azam Steps Down as Captain from Limited-Overs Formats

Babar Azam, the prominent Pakistan cricketer, has announced his resignation from the captaincy of Pakistan’s limited-overs teams. This development was first communicated to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and team management last month, as revealed by Azam via a social media post.

Azam, who considered leading the Pakistan team a great honor, stated, “Being a captain was a wonderful experience, but it has increased the workload. I want to focus entirely on my batting as well as spend more time with my family.” He emphasized his intention to continue delivering exceptional performances as a player for Pakistan.

The PCB had appointed Babar Azam as the captain in April 2023, a position under which he led the team through four T20 series. Under his captaincy, Pakistan played 85 T20 matches, winning 48, marking him as the second most successful T20 captain in the history of Pakistan cricket. Additionally, he led the team in 43 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), securing 26 victories.

However, following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, the PCB had relieved Babar from the captaincy duties. Replacements included Shaheen Afridi for T20s and Shan Masood for tests, but Afridi’s leadership saw Pakistan losing the series against New Zealand 4-1, leading to Azam’s reinstatement as the captain.

During his tenure, Pakistan faced heavy criticism after a poor showing in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they lost to the United States and India. Despite his personal success and outstanding performances, Babar Azam has yet to secure victory in any ICC tournaments.

Babar Azam’s cricketing records include scoring 3962 runs in 54 test matches, 5729 runs in 117 ODIs, and 4145 runs in 123 T20 internationals. His announcement to step down comes shortly after dropping out of the top 10 in the ICC test rankings, highlighting his renewed focus on personal achievements and family time.