Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan captain for the second time

Babar’s second stint at the captaincy saw Pakistan lose seven matches and has coincided with a poor run of his batting form.

Babar Azam has resigned as Pakistan’s white-ball cricket captain for a second time in 11 months, citing a need to lessen his workload and focus on improving his game.

Babar stepped down as captain of all three formats last year after Pakistan failed to make the knockout stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India, before returning as white-ball skipper in March ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in the United States (USA) and West Indies, where Pakistan did not make it past the opening group stage.

“It’s been an honour to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus on my playing role,” Babar wrote in a post on X on Tuesday.

“Captaincy has been a rewarding experience, but it’s added a significant workload. I want to prioritise 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.”

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

Pakistan won just six of the 13 Twenty20 international (T20I) matches they played under Babar in his second stint. Pakistan have not played a one-day international (ODI) match since the 2023 World Cup.

Shaheen Shah Afridi led Pakistan briefly in the T20 format but was removed from the captaincy after Pakistan lost 4-1 to New Zealand.

Mohsin