Former Pakistan Cricketer Slams Babar Azam’s Resignation

Former Pakistan cricketer Sikander Bakht has criticized Babar Azam for postponing his resignation as white-ball captain, stating he should have stepped down immediately after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Bakht commented that Babar was stubborn and carried an ego, viewing himself as the “king.”

“After three months, I think he should have done it at the same time. As soon as the World Cup was over, our World Cup was over on 16th June. Because we had not qualified further. He should have resigned at the same time. The whole nation was saying that he should have resigned. But he was stubborn”, Bakht said while on a TV channel.

The 67-year-old Sikander Bakht also made a sarcastic remark about the leadership of Babar Azam, implying that the 29-year-old saw himself as untouchable, even though Pakistan’s performance in the World Cup was disappointing. Bakht also suggested there were internal issues within the Pakistan team, pointing to the existence of factions competing for leadership.

Following Babar Azam’s resignation as captain of Pakistan’s white-ball team, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has become a frontrunner for the ODI captaincy.

At the same time, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly considering Mohammad Haris for the T20I leadership. Despite stepping down, Babar remains a key player for Pakistan and is gearing up for a three-match Test series against England, beginning on October 7th.