Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif reckoned that Babar Azam will now return to top form as he will be out of captaincy pressure. Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan's white-ball captain to "prioritise" his performance. This is the second time that Babar left the captaincy. Earlier, he left the captaincy when the team failed to perform in the ODI World Cup 2023 hosted by India.
Latif said that he is late but this is the right move for him to leave captaincy.
"He (Babar) understood late but rightly in the end. Mohammad Amir, Azam (Khan) and Imad Wasim have always kept you on your toes, played the World Cup (T20) as they wanted to. Now they are gone. Now Babar's time will come as the pressure of captaincy is off," Latif wrote on X.
Pakistan are unable to win any major tournament under Babar Azam's captaincy. He was appointed in 2019 and under his leadership, Pakistan failed to perform in Asia Cup 2023. The Men in Green got eliminated in the Super 4 stage after a two-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in Colombo. A few months later, Pakistan's struggles continued as they failed to reach the knockout stage of the ODI World Cup in India.
Intrestlgny, Babar Azam-led Pakistan cricket team created history by beating India for the first time in a T20 World Cup match. Babar Azam & Co. registered a 10-wicket win against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
In a statement on his official X account, Babar expressed that it had been an honour to lead the Pakistan men's cricket team. He stated that stepping down from the captaincy would give him clarity and allow him to focus on his personal growth and performance.
"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 on my playing role. Captaincy has been a rewarding experience, but it's added a significant workload. I want to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy. 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. Thank you for your love and support," Babar wrote on X.
Babar Azam is now all set to perform in the upcoming three-Test match series against England which is scheduled to start from October 7.
