Gary Kirsten forced Babar Azam to resign as Pakistan Captain!! Fresh report reveals the dark reality of Pakistan

A confidential report by Pakistan’s white-ball coach Gary Kirsten is believed to have been the major reason behind Babar Azam's resignation as captain of the both T20I and ODI teams.

The shocking revelation has stirred up controversy within Pakistan cricket, with many, including Yasir Arafat, now speculating on the true reasons behind Babar Azam's decision.

Pakistan's unexpected group-stage exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, where they suffered defeats against both co-hosts, the USA, and arch-rivals, India, had already raised eyebrows.

But the leak of Gary Kirsten’s report added fuel to the fire that he submitted to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) right after the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean.

Babar Azam's resignation linked to Gary Kirsten's scathing report?

The report highlighted significant leadership issues under Babar Azam during Pakistan’s tours and T20 World Cup 2024, questioning his ability to guide the team effectively under pressure. Despite Babar Azam publicly stating that he stepped down to focus on his batting, many believe the truth is hidden.

According to insiders, Gary Kirsten's analysis pointed out that Babar was a strong candidate for leading Pakistan in ODIs, but his approach to the fast-paced and high-pressure environment of T20 cricket was lacking.

The critical assessment reportedly recommended a leadership change in T20I cricket, but Babar decided to leave the ODI captaincy as well.

Babar Azam's decision to step away from both T20I and ODI captaincy came just three months after the World Cup debacle. He informed PCB officials of his resignation, but the former Pakistan pacer Arafat said that the move was heavily influenced by the findings of Kirsten’s report, which scrutinized his leadership style during key moments of Pakistan’s recent campaigns.

Kirsten’s recommendations lead to Babar's resignation as Pakistan captain: Yasir Arafat

Arafat hinted that the recommendations of the Pakistan cricket team’s head coach have directly impacted Babar’s decision to resign from his captaincy in white-ball cricket.

The confidential report suggested that the star batter may have felt detained by the mounting pressure and scrutiny from both the Pakistan team management and the media.

Yasir Arafat was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan: “If you remember, after the end of the T20 World Cup 2024, Gary Kirsten wrote a report. So, I think, the recommendations he gave, especially regarding Babar’s captaincy after analyzing his leadership in England and also in the World Cup, led to Babar’s resignation. Also, Kirsten had analyzed that Babar was not the perfect candidate for Pakistan captaincy.”

Some media reports claimed that star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan could be considered as the next captain of the Pakistan white-ball cricket team after Azam's resignation.

However, sources close to Rizwan have clarified that there have been no formal conversations regarding the captaincy with the PCB so far.

Notably, the Pakistan team is currently gearing up for the three-match Test series against England at home.

This series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, and the matches will be held in Multan and Rawalpindi. The three tests will be held on October 7, 15, and 24, respectively.