After leading Pakistan to a series win against Ireland and a loss against England, Babar Azam has announced his resignation from white-ball captaincy. Citing a desire to prioritize his batting performance and spend time with family, Azam stepped down from captaincy for the second time. He mentioned the added workload of captaincy and his intention to focus on personal growth and performance.
With Pakistan preparing for their upcoming Test series against England, star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were seen showcasing their batting abilities in a recent net session. Rizwan, who was the standout performer for Pakistan in their Test series against Bangladesh, showed off his power-hitting skills against the slower bowlers. Meanwhile, Babar took on Shaheen Afridi, driving his deliveries with ease. With Pakistan's recent struggles in the T20 World Cup and Test series against Bangladesh, all eyes will be on Babar and team to see if they can bounce back against England.
The Pakistani cricket team suffered another setback as limited-overs captain Babar Azam announced his resignation amidst a management crisis that has plagued the team's international performance. With a revolving door of bosses, coaches, and captains, and allegations of nepotism within the sport, Pakistan cricket is facing a leadership crisis. Former captain Rashid Latif describes the situation as being in the "ICU with no specialist for treatment," highlighting the dire state of the team.
In the ongoing first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, former captain Babar Azam's dropped catch of Mushfiqur Rahim, who was on 150, has been exposed to severe criticism. With the series opener heading towards a draw, Bangladesh's strong response to Pakistan's total of 448/6 has challenged the hosts repeatedly. Babar's underwhelming performance in the match has not helped his case either, making him an easy target for social media trolls.
Bangladesh's star batsman, Mushfiqur Rahim, shined on the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, scoring a massive 191 runs and helping his team to a first-innings total of 565, their highest against Pakistan. As the visitors took a lead of 117 runs, they now have an outside chance of securing their first-ever victory over Pakistan in Tests. With the home team trailing by 94 runs and hoping for their spinners to turn the tables, the final day of this exciting test match promises to be a nail-biting affair for cricket fans.
In a stunning performance, Mushfiqur Rahim led his team to a 47-run lead against Pakistan in the first Test match in Rawalpindi. His unbeaten score of 173 runs shattered the previous record set by Javed Omar in 2003. Despite a strong display by the home team, Bangladesh now has a chance to claim their first win against Pakistan in their 14 matches.
Pakistan's cricket season got off to a rocky start as their star player Babar Azam was dismissed for a two-ball duck in the first test against Bangladesh. Despite having a pitch specifically prepared for their four-man pace attack, it was the Bangladeshi seamers who dominated the first hour of play. In a spectacular catch, Bangladeshi wicket-keeper Liton Das caught Babar out, causing the Pakistani side to be reeling at 16/3. This is not only a disappointment for Babar, but also a blow to Pakistan's chances in their upcoming seven home tests and two away tests.
Pakistani star cricketer Babar Azam is just 102 runs away from becoming the first Pakistani to score 4000 runs in all three formats of cricket. With 5729 runs in ODIs and 4145 runs in T20Is, he has already established himself as a top-notch batsman. If he manages to achieve the feat during the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, he will join the exclusive club of only two other players - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have achieved this milestone.
Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shoaib Malik expressed his belief that current captain Babar Azam should relinquish his T20I captaincy duties and focus solely on his batting contributions. This comes after Pakistan's poor performance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, where they failed to qualify for the knockout stage. Malik believes Babar's struggle in international cricket is just a phase and it would be better for him to step down from captaincy and concentrate on his batting. Babar has captained the team in 148 matches across all formats, achieving 84 wins and 50 losses.
In a thrilling T20 World Cup match in Lauderhill, USA, left-arm pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Amir stole the show, restricting Ireland to a paltry 106/9. Despite their efforts, Pakistan and Ireland have been eliminated from the tournament, with India and USA advancing to the Super Eight stage. With impressive performances from Imad Wasim and Haris Rauf, Pakistan's bowlers proved to be too much for Ireland to handle.