'Stubborn' Babar Azam should've quit captaincy after T20 WC debacle: Sikander Bakht slams batter after resignation

Former Pakistan speedster Sikander Bakht didn't go easy on Babar Azam after he stepped down as the captain of the white-ball team. He said that the batter should've resigned after the T20 World Cup 2024 but he was stubborn and had an ego that he is "king".

Pakistan National Cricket Team batter Babar Azam, on Tuesday (1st October) at midnight, made a bombshell announcement. The right-hander, through a social media post, announced that he will no longer be leading the team in white-ball cricket and will be focussing on his batting.

With the kind of things that have been happening in Pakistan cricket the last few months, it's fair to say that Babar Azam's decision to step down as white-ball captain was around the corner. He was under a lot of scanner as well for his poor leadership as well ever since he was reappointed as captain.

After the ICC World Cup 2023, Babar Azam was sacked as the captain of the team and Shaheen Afridi was given the role. However, just after one series, Babar was again reappointed, and his second stint as the leader of the team wasn't fruitful as the team lost quite a few games.

Under his leadership, Pakistan had a horrible campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. They faced losses against the United States of America and then the India National Cricket Team, which saw them getting eliminated from the tournament in the group stage itself.

Sikander Bakht, while talking about Babar Azam's decision to step down as leader, said that he should've decided after Pakistan was eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2024. He mentioned that the whole nation was against him. Speaking to a news channel, he explained:

"After three months, I think he should have done it at the same time. As soon as the World Cup was over, our World Cup was over on 16th June. Because we had not qualified further. He should have resigned at the same time. The whole nation was saying that he should have resigned. But he was stubborn.

"Because his style was like this, he was king (In a sarcastic way). His performance was not good, neither was theirs. Anyway, they should have seen that we are removed in two ways. I don't know what happened to him."

He was told to resign - Sikander Bakht on Babar Azam

Sikandar Bakht further made a massive statement, saying that Babar Azam was told to resign and mentioned that there are three groups inside the dressing room. He added:

"He was told to resign. Look, we have three captains in our base. There are groups of three captains. One is Babar, another is Rizwan. They want to become captains. Shaheen want to become captain again. And there is also Shan Masood. Shan Masood lost five or six matches."

Babar will be next seen in action when Pakistan will take on England in the three-match Test series, starting 7th October.