Babar Azam Resigns as Captain of Pakistan’s White-Ball Team

In an unexpected announcement, Babar Azam, Pakistan’s leading batsman, has stepped down as captain of the white-ball cricket team. He shared the news on his social media on Wednesday. According to Babar he wants to focus on his performance and spend time with his family.

At 29 years old, Babar’s captaincy journey began in 2019 but has been marked by difficulties. Under his leadership, the team has yet to win any major tournaments. He first resigned after a poor showing at the 2023 ODI World Cup. Although he was reinstated in March 2024, he could not guide Pakistan to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.

Initially serving as captain across all formats, Babar’s departure saw fast bowler Shaheen Afridi take over as white-ball captain, while Shan Masood continued leading in Tests. However, Shaheen’s time in charge was short-lived, concluding with a 4-1 series loss to New Zealand.

Babar returned to captain the limited-overs team, with Shan still leading in Tests. His latest resignation has led to a range of reactions from fans, with many expressing disappointment.

Since making his Test debut against the West Indies in 2016, Babar has played 54 matches, scoring 3,962 runs at a strike rate of 54.63. He began his ODI career in 2015 against Zimbabwe, amassing 5,729 runs in 117 matches at a strike rate of 88.75. In T20Is, where he debuted in 2016 against England, he has participated in 123 matches, scoring 4,145 runs at a strike rate of 129.08.

As the team looks forward, all eyes will be on who will take over the captaincy next.