File photo of Babar Azam© AFP
Babar Azam decided to step down as Pakistan cricket team captain in white-ball cricket and according to a report by GEO Super, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is looking at three surprising options to replace him. Under Babar's leadership, Pakistan crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2024 group stage after defeats against USA and India. While Mohammad Rizwan is a leading option for captaincy, the report claims that Fakhar Zaman, Saud Shakeel and Salman Agha have emerged as the front-runners.
The report further claimed that head coach Gary Kirsten is not in favour of choosing Zaman as the captain as he is the first-choice wicket-keeper batter of the side in all three formats. As a result, the PCB want to maintain his workload in order to prevent any kind of injury.
Earlier, Babar released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday announcing he had informed the Pakistan Cricket Board and team management about his desire to quit sometime last month.
While Babar did not state when he had informed the board and team management about his decision to quit, the 29-year-old said he wanted to focus on his batting while shedding off the workload as a skipper.
“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,” Babar wrote.
“It's been an honour to lead this team, but it's time for me to step down and focus on my playing role,” he added.
Babar had quit Pakistan captaincy role after their dismal show in the ODI World Cup in India 2023 but he was reinstated as the skipper in white-ball formats in March this year.
However, his second stint had no change in fortunes for the team and Babar as the leader, as Pakistan performed abysmally in the T20 World Cup in the Americas in June, losing to USA and India and failing to make it to Super Eight stage.
Babar said captaincy had been a “rewarding experience” but also added a “significant workload” for him.
“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,” he said.
“By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth.” “I'm grateful for your unwavering support and belief in me. Your enthusiasm has meant the world to me. I'm proud of what we've achieved together and excited to continue contributing to the team as a player,” he added.
(With PTI inputs)