Babar Azam resigns as Pakistan captain in all three formats: World Cup 2023

Babar Azam resigns as Pakistan captain across all three formats following their inability to advance to the knockout stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He officially announced his resignation on Wednesday, November 15th. Shan Masood is the Test captain, and Shaheen Afridi is their T20I captain.

Babar Azam resigns as Pakistan captain in all three formats

As Babar Azam failed to reach the knockout stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He officially announced his resignation on Wednesday, November 15th. Pakistan has subsequently announced Shan Masood as the Test captain, Shaheen Afridi as their T20I captain, and Mohammad Hafeez as the new Director of the Pakistan Men’s team, replacing Mickey Arthur.

Babar Azam said, “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.” He added, “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’m stepping down as the captain of Pakistan across all formats. It’s a difficult decision, but I feel it is the right time for this call. I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility.”

“I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and team with my experience and dedication.”

Under Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan achieved the No. 1 position in One Day Internationals (ODIs).

In recent developments, Morne Morkel has resigned from his position as the bowling coach of the Pakistan team. The former South African fast bowler had joined the Pakistan team on a six-month contract in June of that year.

Pakistan World Cup journey

Pakistan faced five defeats in their nine matches, including a seven-wicket loss to arch-rival India. In their final league match of the tournament, the Men in Green started knowing they had a slim chance of reaching the semi-finals. They needed a victory by a substantial margin to have any hope of forcing a significant swing in net run rate. However, the possibility of such a result vanished as the 2019 champions, England, built towards a substantial first-innings score and secured a 93-run win. So Babar Azam resigns as Pakistan captain in all three formats

Babar the No. 1 Batsman

In April 2021, during the first ODI against South Africa, Babar Azam scored his 13th ODI century in his 76th innings, making him the quickest to reach this milestone. This achievement surpassed the previous record held by Hashim Amla, who took 83 innings to reach the same mark. By the end of the series, Babar Azam became the No. 1 ODI batsman, amassing 865 points and surpassing Virat Kohli, who had held the top spot for 1258 days.

Babar Azam Captaincy Record: Babar Azam resigns as Pakistan captain

Babar Azam stands as one of the most successful captains in Pakistan’s cricket history. Having captained the team in over 100 matches, Babar boasts the best win record for Pakistan. He is among the select few who have led the Pakistan team in more than 100 matches.

Babar Azam ODI record – 42 matches – won 26, lost 14

Babar Azam T20 record – 71 matches – won 42, lost 23

Babar Azam Test record – 20 matches – won 10, lost 6

Overall match 133 matches – won 78, lost 43

Overall win percentage – 64.34 %

Babar Azam’s ICC event win as Captain

Under Babar Azam’s captaincy, the Pakistan team won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.