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The sudden resignation of Babar Azam as Pakistan's white-ball captain has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, with reports pointing to a critical report by former India captain Gary Kirsten, who serves as Pakistan's limited-overs coach, as the catalyst for Azam's decision. The report, which detailed concerns about the team's performance and the dressing room environment, appears to have left Azam feeling unfairly targeted and lacking the support he felt he needed to continue in the role.
Kirsten's report reportedly touched upon the team's underwhelming performance at the T20 World Cup in July, where Pakistan's campaign faltered under Azam's captaincy. It also shed light on specific instances of non-cooperation and negative behavior by certain players during their tours of England and the T20 World Cup. Kirsten's assessment apparently went beyond the team's performance, questioning Azam's ability to handle the pressures of captaincy and suggesting that his focus should shift to his role as a specialist batter. These sentiments, conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), seem to have deeply affected Azam, who felt blamed for the team's shortcomings and lacked confidence in the board's support.
Azam, who had previously indicated his desire to remain captain, reportedly expressed his disappointment with the PCB's lack of consideration for his past achievements and the lack of trust shown in him. The final straw appears to have been the PCB's decision not to confirm him as captain for the ODI squad, despite confirming him as T20 captain ahead of the World Cup. With Azam's resignation, the PCB is now faced with the challenging task of selecting a new captain for the white-ball teams. The board is taking a cautious approach, allowing Kirsten, selector Asad Shafiq, and members of the selection committee to deliberate extensively before making a recommendation. Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has emphasized the importance of documenting all official discussions, ensuring transparency and accountability in the selection process.
Source: Ex-India Coach's Damning Report Led To Babar Azam Quitting Pakistan Captaincy Suddenly: Report