Following Babar Azam's shocking resignation, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed two new captains for Tests and T20 Internationals. While Shan Masood will be leading Pakistan in the Tests, Shaheen Afridi will captain in the shortest format of the game.
PCB made the announcement on social media hours after Babar stepped down as Pakistan captain on Wednesday, November 15.
Babar assumed the captaincy of the Pakistani cricket team across all formats in October 2019, and under his leadership, the Men in Green surged to the no.1 ranking in the ODIs for the first time in May. Following Pakistan's elimination from the World Cup, Babar stepped down as Pakistan's captain across all formats following Pakistan's nightmarish performance in the World Cup 2023.
Notably, Pakistan lost five matches and won just four games in the group stagw finishing fifth on the points table. Talking about Babar's lacklustre batting show, he could only score 320 runs in a total of nine innings as 74-run knock remained his best performance.
Babar took to social media to announced his resignation. “I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019,” Babar said in a statement released on his social media channels. Over the past four years, I've experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan's pride and respect in the cricket world," Babar's post read.
“Reaching the number 1 spot in the white-ball format was a result of the collective efforts of players, coaches, and management, but I'd like to express my gratitude to passionate Pakistan cricket fans for their unwavering support during this journey. Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It's a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call," Babar's post added.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
IND vs NZ: Rohit Sharma scripts history, slams Chris Gayle's all-time ODI World Cup record
