Former Pakistan skipper feels Babar Azam's time will come as there is no pressure of captaincy on him

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif believes that right-hand batter Babar Azam will return to top form as there will be no pressure of captaincy on him from now on. Babar Azam announced that he will step down as the white-ball captain of the Pakistan cricket team to "prioritise" his performance.

"He (Babar) understood late but rightly in the end. Mohammad Amir, Azam (Khan) and Imad Wasim have always kept you on your toes, played the World Cup (T20) as they wanted to. Now they are gone. Now Babar's time will come as the pressure of captaincy is off," Latif wrote on X.

Pakistan has not won a major tournament during Babar's tenure as captain, which began in 2019. Last year, under his leadership, Pakistan was eliminated from the Asia Cup in the Super 4 stage after a two-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in Colombo. A few months later, Pakistan's struggles continued as they failed to reach the knockout stage of the ODI World Cup in India. In a statement on his official X account, Babar expressed that it had been an honour to lead the Pakistan men's cricket team.

He stated that stepping down from the captaincy would give him clarity and allow him to focus on his personal growth and performance. "Dear Fans, I'm sharing some news with you today. I have decided to resign as captain of the Pakistan men's cricket team, effective as of my notification to the PCB and Team Management last month. It's been an honour to lead this team, but it's time for me to step down and focus on my playing role.

Captaincy has been a rewarding experience, but it's added a significant workload. I want to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy. By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth. I'm grateful for your unwavering support and belief in me. Your enthusiasm has meant the world to me. I'm proud of what we've achieved together and excited to continue contributing to the team as a player. Thank you for your love and support," Babar wrote on X.

Babar made his Test debut in 2016 against the West Indies and has since played 54 matches, scoring 3,962 runs at a strike rate of 54.63. He played his first ODI in 2015 against Zimbabwe, featuring in 117 matches and scoring 5,729 runs at a strike rate of 88.75. Since debuting in T20Is in 2016 against England, Babar has played 123 matches, amassing 4,145 runs at a strike rate of 129.08.