AB de Villiers, the former South Africa cricketer, lauded Babar Azam’s decision to quit Pakistan captaincy and urged him to score plenty of runs by focusing on his batting going forward.
Babar Azam announced his resignation as white-ball captain in a social media statement on Wednesday, October 2. His decision comes as the national team is failing in all formats. This is the second time the star hitter has stepped down as captain of the Pakistan cricket team.
The 29-year-old batsman initially stepped down as captain following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Shaheen Afridi succeeded him as T20I captain, but the PCB later sacked him. Babar was reappointed captain in April before the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
PCB’s decision to re-appoint Babar as captain proved ineffective, as the squad was eliminated in the group stage. The men in green lost to the USA in their tournament opener and then to India when they failed to chase 119 runs.
The star batter announced his decision to stand down from leadership in a comprehensive message on social media, claiming a desire to focus more on his “playing role” for the club.
“Congrats”- AB de Villiers reacts to Babar Azam quitting Pakistan captaincy
Although Babar has relinquished the white-ball captaincy, he remains an important figure in Pakistan’s Test squad. His next assignment will be to lead the batting lineup in the next three-match Test series against England, which begins on October 7th.
“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,” Babar posted on X.
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
Meanwhile, AB de Villiers backed Babar’s choice, expressing confidence that the Pakistani batsman will continue to produce outstanding performances with the bat.
He posted: “Congrats. You’ve been great. Now for plenty more runs for your team.”
Congrats. You’ve been great. Now for plenty more runs for your team💪
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) October 2, 2024
Following Babar’s resignation, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has emerged as the leading contender for the ODI captaincy. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly contemplating Mohammad Haris for the T20I leadership.
Also Read: Babar Azam Resigned As Pakistan Captain Due To Gary Kirsten’s Plans? Report Reveals The Truth