After a disappointing World Cup campaign for Pakistan, Babar Azam is contemplating his captaincy future. The team finished fifth in the points table with just four wins in nine matches, facing severe criticism, particularly directed at Babar's batting and leadership.
In their final group stage match of the World Cup, Pakistan were beaten by 93 runs by England which further piled pressure on Babar to relinquish his captaincy.
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In the post-match press conference by former England Michael Atherton, Babar expressed his intention to continue with his captaincy stating, "We will sit together and take stock. We'll take positives from this and discuss mistakes. I'm keen to lead the rebuild."
PCB sources reveal that Babar has already consulted with teammates, including influential figures like Imam ul Haq, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali, the players, considered close to the skipper, who have discouraged him from resigning.
Will Babar Azam leave Pakistan captaincy?
"Babar has already spoken to his teammates, and majority of them advised him not to step down himself. He will come out with a clear line of action once he returns home with the team after failing to make the semi-finals of the World Cup in India. But, he will not step down himself," a PCB source told PTI.
While facing challenging tours to Australia and New Zealand, Babar is likely to continue as captain unless the selectors or PCB request otherwise. The final decision might be left to the Pakistan Cricket Board, headed by Zaka Ashraf.
"He will most probably leave the decision of whether he should remain captain or not up to the Pakistan Cricket Board headed by Zaka Ashraf,” added another source.
Babar assumed the white-ball captaincy in late 2019, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed after the World Cup in England, where Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals.
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How many runs did Babar Azam score at the ODI World Cup 2023?
Babar Azam finished the tournament with over 300 runs to his name. Azam had an underwhelming trip to India, by his own high standards. Babar failed to record a single century at the World Cup if that could sum up his performance in the tournament.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 320 | 40.00 | 82.90 | 4 | 0 | 74 |
Who will win the 2023 World Cup?
India and Australia are now among the favourites for the 2023 World Cup title. The odds were as follows ahead of this match, and you can click here to make your bet (selected regions).
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| India | 1.95 |
| Australia | 4.50 |
| South Africa | 5.50 |
| New Zealand | 7.50 |
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