‘No one forced him to resign’: PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi speaks on Babar Azam’s decision to relinquish captaincy
New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi clarified that Babar Azam’s decision to step down as captain was entirely his own. According to Naqvi, Babar approached him to express his desire to relinquish the captaincy, and there was no pressure from the PCB to make this choice. Initially, Babar stepped down following the ODI World Cup, but the PCB persuaded him to continue leading the team in the T20 World Cup 2024. However, Pakistan’s disappointing exit in the group stage brought heavy criticism his way, prompting Babar to formally resign as captain. Naqvi commended Babar for his service and confirmed that no one from the board influenced his decision to step down.
“Babar humara Pakistan ka ek asset hai. Kafi arse baad is tareh ke bade players aate hai. Usne mujhse raabta kiya aur usne kaha ki Mohsin bhai mai as a captain continue nahi karna chahta. Kisi ne usse koi… bahut sari baatein beech mein aato nahi thi, lekin main apko bata sakta hoon ki PCB mein se kisi se usse koi na raabta kiya tha ki aapne captaincy chodni hai ya kuch karna hai, uska khud. Usne pehele coaches se aur baki logo se apna mashwara kiya aur fir mujhe kaha ki main as captain continue nahi karna chahta (Babar is an asset. He spoke to me, and he told me he didn’t want to be captain, and let me make it clear that no one forced him to resign as captain. It is his own personal decision. He had sought advice before resigning),” Naqvi said during the press conference.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi further explained Babar Azam’s decision to step down as captain, stating that Babar wanted to concentrate more on his batting. Naqvi highlighted that this shift would allow Babar to channel his energy fully into his role as a batsman without the added responsibilities of leadership.
“Uska jo bhi faisla tha… Vo apni game par jyada focus karna chahta hai aur hum sabki khwaish hai vo apni form mein wapis aaye aur usi tareh ki performance de jis tareh ki vo pehele deta raha hai (Whatever his decision was… he wants to focus more on his game, and we all want him to return to his form and start performing well once again),” he added.