PAKISTAN, Ovt 03, V7N- Babar Azam has officially stepped down as Pakistan's white-ball captain, announcing his decision on the social media platform X. In his statement, Azam expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the team but emphasized his desire to focus more on his personal performance and family life. He highlighted the challenges of captaincy and the heavy workload it brings, which led to his decision to step aside and concentrate on his game.

Azam, who was reinstated as captain in May 2024 after a brief removal, leaves the leadership role a week before Pakistan's Test series against England in Multan. He was also set to captain the white-ball series in Australia next month, but the Pakistan Cricket Board will now need to appoint a new skipper for that series. Shan Masood has been named the new Test captain.

Azam's tenure as captain included leading Pakistan in 20 Tests, 43 ODIs, and 85 T20Is since 2019. However, his leadership saw some major setbacks, including Pakistan's early exit from the ODI World Cup and a disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Despite these challenges, Azam remains proud of his accomplishments with the team and is looking forward to contributing as a player moving forward.

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