Babar Azam was reinstated as Pakistan white-ball captain early this year.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has said that Pakistan cricket is in ICU after Babar Azam resigned as Men in Green white-ball cricket.
Babar was removed as captain of Pakistan's white-ball teams after an unimpressive performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, three months later, in March 2024, he was reinstated, albeit with some controversy.
His second tenure began in turmoil as Pakistan was eliminated from the T20 World Cup in the group stage, with an embarrassing defeat to the USA a low point.
A setback to archrivals India, despite being in a great position, sparked much debate. Given the present dismal trajectory in Pakistan cricket, this development may not come as a surprise. The Test team was just defeated at home by Bangladesh, and the international side’s morale remains poor.
Babar took to the social media platform 'X' to share the news, expressing that he felt it was time to concentrate solely on his batting.
Rashid Latif reacted to the news of Babar Azam resigning as captain and stated that Pakistan cricket is in ICU and it is a leadership crisis.
"It's a leadership crisis. Pakistan cricket is in the ICU with no specialist for treatment. He should not have accepted captaincy again. Neither the team was performing nor was he scoring big. This resignation has come very late and that has not only cost him badly but also the team,” Rashid Latif told AFP.
On the other hand, Basit Ali said that Babar Azam’s resignation as Pakistan captain was well-timed.
"Babar Azam stepping down is a very sensible decision. In fact, he should have done this right after the 50-over World Cup in India. This will not only benefit Pakistan cricket but also Babar himself. It’s a brave decision that will help him refocus on his individual game,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
Salman Butt, former Pakistan captain also supported Babar Azam in his decision to relinquish captaincy of the national white-ball team.
"Babar Azam has resigned from white-ball captaincy, and I think there's nothing to talk about it. I think he has done the right thing and should have done it earlier... People were undermining him, and it was the right decision from Babar. He should focus more on his batting and it will be more valuable for the Pakistan cricket team also he is a great batter," Salman Butt said.