Babar Azam Relinquishes White-Ball Captaincy Amidst Critical Report and Lack of Support
Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has stepped down as captain of the national white-ball teams following a critical report submitted by head coach Gary Kirsten and a perceived lack of support from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Sources within the PCB and close to the team revealed that Azam had lost his enthusiasm for the captaincy after the team’s disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup in July. Kirsten’s report, which was partially leaked to the public, reportedly criticized Azam’s leadership and blamed him for the team’s failures.
Azam expressed dissatisfaction with the report and felt that he was being unfairly singled out. He conveyed to the PCB that he was no longer interested in continuing as captain.
The situation was further exacerbated when the PCB announced Azam as captain of the T20 team but not the ODI squad ahead of the World Cup. This decision was seen as a lack of confidence in Azam’s abilities.
Kirsten’s report also raised concerns about the dressing room environment and the behavior of some players. He questioned whether Azam was equipped to handle the pressures of captaincy and suggested that he should focus on his role as a specialist batter.
The PCB is currently deliberating on who will replace Azam as white-ball captain. Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has instructed the selection committee to carefully consider all options and provide a detailed rationale for their decision.
