Babar Azam quits as Pakistan captain

Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan's cricket captain on Wednesday, days after a league stage exit from the World Cup.
Azam captained Pakistan in all three formats starting October, 2019, and led them to No. 1 in ICC One-Day International (ODI) rankings for the first time in May.

Pakistan slid from the spot after finishing fourth in Asia Cup and fifth in the World Cup. "It's a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call," the 29 year-old wrote on X. "I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication."

His resignation comes two days after Pakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel stepped down.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) accepted his resignation. "After consultation with his family, Babar decided to step down and PCB stands behind his decision," it said in a statement.

Batsman Shan Masood has been announced by the PCB as the new Test captain while pacer Shaheen Afridi will be the T20 captain.

Azam is ranked by ICC as a top five batsman in all three formats, and is Pakistan's most successful captain in T20 Internationals with 42 wins