Shaheen Shah Afridi new Pak hero after Babar Azam quits captaincy

LAHORE: It is doomsday for Pakistan cricket as star batsman Babar Azam decided to relinquish his captaincy after the dismal show in the ICC World Cup tournament. In a post on social media, Babar indicated that he is stepping down as captain in all formats including T20, ODI and Test cricket. Babar also promised full support to the next captain assuming the role and said he would continue to represent Pakistan in all three formats as a player.

Earlier, bowling coach Morni Morkel had resigned after Pakistan’s debacle in the ODI World Cup without reaching the semi-final. With Babar Azam now following suit, it is a predicament at the doorsteps of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Earlier, veterans like Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq demanded Babar's resignation for Pakistan’s lame exit from the World Cup which also included some humiliating defeats. The 28-year-old Babar is currently the second-ranked batsman in ODIs. He is ranked fourth in Test and T20. Under Babar, Pakistan reached the summit in the ODI rankings and was one of the favourites to win the World Cup this year. In the note, Babar said that the country reached the number one position due to the collective efforts of the team members and management and for this, he is thankful to everyone.

PCB after Babar’s resignation appointed Shan Masood as the new test captain while Shaheen Shah Afridi is Pakistan’s new captain in ODI and T20s.

Pakistan was eliminated from the World Cup after losing to England by 93 runs.