Babar Azam has resigned from the captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team in all formats after accepting responsibility for the embarrassing performance in the 2023 World Cup. Babar took the team to number one in the ODI rankings under his captaincy. 29-year-old Babar posted on social media platform X(Twitter). He wrote “Today I am stepping down from the post of captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a tough decision, but I think it’s the right time to take this decision.” A negative atmosphere was constantly being created in the Pakistani media against Babar Azam. Babar’s private chats were also leaked on national TV.

He took this decision after a meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf in Lahore. Babar said, “I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from the PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019. Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field. I have worked hard to maintain the glory and honour of Pakistan with all my heart and dedication. Reaching the number 1 spot in the white-ball format (ODI and T20I) is the result of the combined efforts of the players, coaches and management, but I would like to thank the Pakistan cricket fans for their unwavering support during this journey. 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.”

At first, Babar Azam was made captain of the T20 team in 2019. In 2020, he got the responsibility to lead the Test and ODI team. Babar did not give any specific reason for the decision to leave the captaincy. This is the first time in the history of the World Cup that the team has lost four consecutive matches. Pakistan was fifth in the tournament with 5 defeats out of 9 matches. Pakistan needed an unbelievable 287-run win against England in their last league match to reach the semi-finals, but they lost the match by 93 runs and were thrown out of the World Cup.