Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan captain; Shan Masood, Shaheen Shah Afridi announced as new skippers

Rahul Iyer

Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan captain; Shan Masood, Shaheen Shah Afridi announced as new skippers image

Pakistan's World Cup campiagn ended last week with a loss to England, leaving the side in fifth place in the table and therefore unable to qualify for the semifinals.

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2023 marked the third World Cup in a row that Pakistan had not managed to qualify for the semifinals of the tournament. They made it in 2011, where they lost to eventual winners and arch-rivals India in Mohali.

After the end of their tournament, several meetings took place at the PCB, with reshuffles expected amongst the administration and coaching staff.

'It's a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time' - Babar Azam steps down as Pakistan captain

Amid rumours that Pakistan were looking to change their captain, the speculation came to an end on Wednesday, as Babar Azam announced that he would be stepping down from the role.

 

Babar mentioned in his statement that he was grateful to the fans for their support, adding that he would also give his full support to the new captain.

Shan Masood appointed Test captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi to captain T20I team

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later announced that batter Shan Masood would now lead the Pakistan red-ball side, while fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi would take over as the T20I captain. It is unclear at this point whether Shaheen will also lead Pakistan in ODIs, or the board will appoint a different captain for the 50-over format.

 

Rahul Iyer

Rahul Iyer Photo

Rahul is a content producer for The Sporting News' India edition.