The first major repercussion of Pakistan's horrendous ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign has come in the form of skipper Babar Azam's resignation from the role across all formats. Babar, who took Pakistan to the T20 World Cup final last year in Australia, has failed to live up to the expectations in the other two formats and a group-stage exit from the World Cup seemed like a final blow to the head as far as his captaincy career is concerned.
In an elaborate statement on X (formerly Twitter), Babar wrote, "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 No. 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. I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats," Babar further added.
Babar's captaincy has been under the scanner since the winless home Test series run against Australia, England and New Zealand where Pakistan lost 0-1, 0-3 and drew 0-0 against the Kiwis, respectively. And all the hopes of him continuing depended upon a successful World Cup 2023 campaign, which wasn't to be.
Babar, who led Pakistan in 134 matches across formats, mentioned that he would support the new captain with all his experience and continue to give his best for the team. "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," Babar added.
Under Babar, Pakistan won 26 ODIs out of 43, 10 Tests out of 20 and 42 T20Is out of 71. Pakistan's biggest achievement under Babar was qualifying for the T20 World Cup final last year and the semis in 2021 in the UAE. Pakistan also became the No.1 team in ODIs and T20Is under Babar and will have to find a new captain in all three formats before their next assignment.
Pakistan will be touring Australia next month for a three-match Test series followed by a five-match T20I assignment against New Zealand in January next year.
