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Pakistan seem to be in dire straits as their new era, in which talisman Babar Azam is no more the captain in any format, has gotten off to a disastrous start.
After an underwhelming 2023 World Cup campaign in India, where Pakistan finished in fifth place with just four wins and missed out on the semi-finals, Babar announced his decision to step down as the team’s captain from all formats.
Babar was first appointed captain of the Pakistan cricket team by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2019. Under his leadership, the Men in Green achieved the No.1 ranking in ODIs in 2023 and also reached the final of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
At the same World Cup, Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets in a group stage game, which was Pakistan’s first-ever win over their arch-rivals in any World Cup game (ODI or T20I).
Now, though, the Pakistan team seems to be in tatters, with a lot of on field and off field issues harming the team chemistry and results.
MORE: Pakistan players reportedly fall out with Team Director Mohammad Hafeez
What is happening to Pakistan after Babar Azam stepped down?
Pakistan’s first assignment after the 2023 World Cup was the tour Down Under as they took on Australia in a three-match Test series.
Shan Masood, who made his Test debut in 2013, was named as Babar’s successor in the longest format on the game.
However, Masood’s captaincy stint got off to the worst possible start as Pakistan were humbled and humiliated in a 3-0 whitewash by the hosts.
Then, Pakistan returned to white-ball action as they were scheduled to tour New Zealand for a five T20Is, an important series from the 2024 T20 World Cup point of view.
In T20Is, star bowler Shaheen Afridi was named as Babar’s successor, banking on the 23-year-old’s leadership experience in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Afridi captained his franchise Lahore Qalandars to successive PSL trophies in 2022 and 2023.
However, in the ongoing T20I series against the Kiwis, Pakistan have looked out of sorts as they have lost all three of the three T20Is that have been played so far. With two more games to go, Afridi and Co. face the prospect of yet another series whitewash.
The loss in the third T20I on Wednesday (January 17) has now made it six losses out of six since Babar stepped down as captain.
Where the PCB goes from here is anyone’s guess. And maybe it’s just an overreaction. Pakistan haven’t won a single Test in Australia since the 1990s, while Afridi is only 23.
Having headed into a new direction – and era – the board, the management, and the selectors are likely to give a longer rope to these set of players and the captains in hopes of a turnaround.
Babar Azam’s record as captain
Babar led Pakistan in all three formats since he was first named captain in 2019. Here’s a look at Pakistan’s record under his captaincy:
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Draw/Tie/NR | Win-loss ratio | Win % |
| Tests | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 1.67 | 50% |
| ODIs | 43 | 26 | 15 | 2 | 1.73 | 60.47% |
| T20Is | 71 | 42 | 23 | 6 | 1.83 | 59.15% |
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