Babar Azam faced fans fury on social media after he decided to step down from Pakistan's white-ball captaincy (T20I &ODI). The cricketer conveyed the message to his fans through social media in a late night post adding that that he had informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the team management of his decision in September. Babar explained his decision in a detailed statement on social media
Dear Fans,
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) October 1, 2024
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 said captaincy added a 'significant workload' and that by stepping down, he would channel his energy into contributing to the team with the bat. He wrote, "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. "
"Captaincy has been a rewarding experience, but it's added a 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."
Fans React to Babar Azam's resignation as Pakistan skipper
Congratulations on meme-worthy career. pic.twitter.com/RGGFY72wVl
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) October 1, 2024
Babar Azam deciding to leave captaincy for the 100th time when World War 3 is about to begin pic.twitter.com/Ll6gEFVoyW
— Kriti Singh (@kritiitweets) October 1, 2024
Just retire for betterment of Pakistan Cricket ❤️
— Shreyy (@SadlyShreyy) October 1, 2024
Babar Azam should have resigned after the T20I World Cup… now when head coach Gary Kirsten and the PCB wanted him to continue he has left…. Some things never change and #PakistanCricket is one of them
— Shahid Hashmi (@hashmi_shahid) October 1, 2024
Babar Azam resignations: 2
— Lahori Guy (@YrrrFahad_) October 1, 2024
Babar Azam Trophies Won in 6 Tourn: 0 https://t.co/uPjBRKmVhn
Babar Azam's captaincy stint
Babar Azam departure follows a disappointing performance by the team in the recent ODI World Cup held in India. After this event, Babar stepped down from leadership across all formats, having previously been reinstated earlier this year when the Pakistan Cricket Board underwent a leadership change.
Shaheen Afridi, who briefly took over as T20I captain, was dismissed after just one series in New Zealand. Pakistan had a lackluster showing in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage after losses to India and the USA.
The team faced speculation of internal conflicts throughout the tournament, marking the challenging start of newly appointed head coach Gary Kirsten's tenure.
Imad Wasim, a former teammate of Babar, expressed his surprise at Babar's reinstatement as captain earlier in 2024, indicating that many were caught off guard by the decision.