Babar Azam, one of Pakistan's finest batsmen and cricket captains, has announced his resignation as captain of the white-ball team. Earlier, Babar stepped down, after a disappointing campaign in the 2023 World Cup campaign.

Pakistan Cricket Board reappointed him as skipper in 2024, replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi. However, once again, Babar decided to step aside. Babar took to X (formerly Twitter) late on Tuesday night to share his decision, citing personal reasons and the need to focus more on his performance and personal growth.

In his heartfelt message, Babar stated, “It’s been an honor to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus on my playing role.” He emphasized that while captaincy had been a rewarding experience, it came with significant stress, and he wanted to regain balance in his life.

Dear Fans,

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.

It's been an honour to lead this team, but it's time for me to step down and focus…
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) October 1, 2024

Struggles and Setbacks

Despite his reappointment as captain earlier in 2024, Babar's leadership faced challenges. Pakistan's performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States, was underwhelming.

The team suffered losses, which included a shocking defeat against the associate nation, the United States. The defeat against India followed by the exit from the tournament was the cherry on the cake. This failure marked a disappointing chapter in Babar’s second stint as skipper, as Pakistan failed to reach the knockout stages.

Babar's tenure also saw setbacks in the Asia Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup as well. However, Babar doesn't own all the blame. Factors such as team form and external conditions played significant roles in Pakistan's struggles during his leadership.

Babar’s Legacy as Captain

Though recent failures overshadowed his captaincy, Babar Azam’s leadership saw remarkable successes as well. Under his command, Pakistan became a dominant force in T20I cricket.

In his first stint as a captain, he had a record-breaking 45 T20I wins, placing him ahead of notable captains such as Aaron Finch, Brian Masaba, and Eoin Morgan.

Despite the criticisms, Babar’s captaincy brought several high points, and his legacy as one of Pakistan's most successful T20I captains remains intact.

Babar Azam Captain Achievements: White-ball cricket

One Day Cricket Records
1	First PAK Leader to win more than two SENA series (SA, AUS, NZ)
2	Led PAK to No.1 rank in ODIs for the first time
3	One of the two PAK Leader to win an ODI series in South Africa
4	Have more ODI centuries (8) as PAK Leader
5	Most ODI centuries in winning cause by PAK Leader
6	Babar’s win/loss ratio of 1.73 is the second-best among PAK captains who led in at least 20 ODI matches
7	3rd most runs as PAK leader in winning cause
8	Only player in the world to score three consecutive hundreds on two different occasions
9	Highest ODI successful run chase came under his captaincy (349-4 vs AUS, 2022)

Future of Pakistan’s Leadership

With Babar’s departure, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not named anyone as the new white-ball captain ahead of the team’s tour of Australia next month. However, Shan Masood will continue to lead the Test side, but the search for a new ODI and T20I leader is on.

Earlier, the board showed faith on Shaheen Shah Afridi. Its time to see if any new name emerges or not!

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