Will Babar Azam resign as captain of the Pakistan cricket team after the team’s poor performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023? The question is on everyone’s mind after Pakistan’s humiliating exit from the mega event, failing to qualify for the semi-finals for the third consecutive time.
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Babar Azam as Captain: The Big Question
The Men in Green suffered a crushing 93-run defeat at the hands of England in their last league match in Kolkata on Saturday, ending their campaign in fifth place in the standings with four wins and four losses.
Pakistan’s hopes of making it to the last four were already slim after their previous loss to South Africa by one wicket in a nail-biting finish. They needed to beat England by an improbable margin of 287 runs to overtake New Zealand on net run rate, which was virtually impossible even if they had bowled out England for a low score.
But Pakistan’s bowling, which had been their strength throughout the tournament, failed to deliver when it mattered the most. England piled up 354 for six in their 50 overs, thanks to centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root. Pakistan’s batsmen, who had chased down a mammoth target of 402 against New Zealand in their penultimate match, crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 261 in 44.3 overs.
Team Pakistan: The Captaincy Question
The defeat sparked a wave of criticism and disappointment from fans, former players, and experts, who questioned Pakistan’s team selection, strategy, and execution. Many also called for Babar Azam’s resignation as captain, citing his lack of leadership skills, poor decision-making, and inconsistent batting form.
Babar Azam, who is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world, had a disappointing World Cup with the bat, scoring only 264 runs in eight matches at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 77.64. He failed to score a single century or fifty and was dismissed cheaply in crucial matches against India, South Africa, and England.
However, despite the backlash, Babar Azam has expressed his desire to continue leading Pakistan in the rebuilding phase after the World Cup debacle. In a press conference after the England match, he said that he was “depressed” but not ready to give up.
“I don’t feel any pressure to resign. I am enjoying my captaincy, and I want to lead this team forward,” he said. “We have learned a lot from this World Cup, and we will try to improve our mistakes. We have some young players who have performed well, and we will try to groom them for the future.“
Babar Azam also received support from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director Mickey Arthur, who said that it was not a “crime to make mistakes” and that Babar Azam should be given time to mature as a captain.
“Babar is a young captain, and he will learn from his experiences. He has done a good job overall, and he has the potential to become a great leader,” Arthur said. “He needs our backing and encouragement. We should not judge him harshly based on one tournament.“
Arthur also defended Pakistan’s performance in the World Cup, saying that they had played some good cricket and were unlucky to miss out on the semi-finals due to their low net run rate.
“We are not happy with the result, but we are proud of the way we fought till the end. We had some close matches that could have gone either way. We beat some strong teams, like New Zealand and Australia. We were just one win away from qualifying,” he said.
Pakistan will now return home and prepare for their next assignment, which is a three-match T20I series against the West Indies in Lahore later this month. They will also host Sri Lanka for two Tests in December, followed by a tour of Australia in January–February next year.
Post-World Cup: What’s Next for Babar Azam?
It remains to be seen whether Babar Azam will be able to retain his captaincy across all formats or whether PCB will make any changes in the wake of the World Cup fiasco. One thing is certain: Babar will have to prove himself as a batsman and a leader in the coming months if he wants to silence his critics and win back the trust of his fans.
If you are interested in Babar Azam’s World Cup performance, Read this article for all the insights.
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