Pakistan's limited-overs team found itself without a leader on Wednesday after captain Babar Azam stepped down, deepening a management crisis that experts believe has severely impacted the team's international performance.
Pakistani cricket is struggling across all formats following a string of disheartening losses, with frequent changes in leadership and accusations of nepotism tainting the sport. Azam announced his resignation on his personal social media late Tuesday night, with an official statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following more than 12 hours later.
In the past two years, Pakistan cricket has seen four coaches, three board heads, and four captains come and go, coinciding with a decline in international rankings. "It's a leadership crisis," remarked former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif. "Pakistan cricket is in the ICU with no specialist for treatment."
Azam's resignation came just before England arrived for a three-match Test series, following Pakistan's embarrassing 2-0 home series loss to Bangladesh last month. This was Azam's second stint as captain; he previously resigned from all three formats after Pakistan's early exit from the ODI World Cup in November. He returned in March to lead white-ball competitions but resigned again after just six months, leaving Pakistan without a captain for upcoming major series and the Champions Trophy next year.
Azam, who led Pakistan to a disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup, cited a need to focus on his batting role as the reason for his resignation. "He should not have accepted captaincy again," Latif said. "Neither the team was performing nor was he scoring big. This resignation has come very late and has not only cost him but also the team."
The PCB announced that the national selection committee would start the process of finding a successor. "He believes that dedicating himself fully to his batting will enable him to play a more decisive role in the team's success in the shorter formats," a PCB statement read. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is seen as the leading candidate for the captaincy.
Azam is set to play in the England Test series starting in Multan on Monday, but red-ball skipper Shan Masood is also under pressure to resign due to poor performances. Pakistan has lost all five matches under his leadership since it began last year.
