File photo of Babar Azam.© AFP
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday addressed Babar Azam’s resignation from the white-ball captaincy, clarifying that no one from the PCB pressured the 30-year-old to step down. Earlier this month, Babar announced his decision to relinquish the white-ball captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team to “prioritise” his performance. Since Babar took on the role in 2019, Pakistan has not won a major tournament. Last year, under his leadership, the team was eliminated from the Asia Cup in the Super 4 stage following a two-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in Colombo. A few months later, Pakistan’s struggles continued, with the team failing to reach the knockout stage of the ODI World Cup in India.
In a statement posted on his official X account on October 2, Babar expressed that it had been an honour to lead the Pakistan men’s cricket team. He mentioned that stepping down would offer him clarity and allow him to focus on his personal growth and performance.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi confirmed that Babar independently chose not to continue as captain.
“Babar Azam told me himself that he did not want to continue as captain. No one from the PCB told him to leave the captaincy. He discussed it with the coaches and wanted to focus on his performances,” Naqvi said.
The PCB chief also explained that the decision to appoint Mohammad Rizwan as the new skipper was made after consulting five mentors and coaches of the Champions Cup.
“We spoke to the five mentors of the Champions Cup and the coaches, and the majority agreed that Mohammad Rizwan should be the captain, with Salman Ali Agha as vice-captain,” he added.
Star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s new white-ball skipper on Sunday. Ahead of Pakistan’s limited-overs tours of Australia and Zimbabwe next month, the PCB announced Rizwan’s appointment as captain, with Salman Ali Agha as vice-captain.
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