Should Babar Azam step down as T20I captain after T20 WC 2022?

Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, has grabbed the spotlight lately. Many legends of Pakistan cricket have recommended the ace batter to think about stepping down from his position as captain after a series of subpar performances, both with the bat and as captain. While some people have directly criticized Babar for a number of his choices during the current T20 World Cup 2022, others believe the pressure of serving as captain may well be having an adverse effect on his efficiency as a batter.

Pakistani greats Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, and Saleem Malik, while speaking about Babar Azam and the team, have opined that the 28-year-old should give up captaincy in the T20I format so as to shift his focus entirely on his game. Under his captaincy, Pakistan has managed to win only two matches at the ongoing World Cup so far, and Babar has not been impressive in any of them.

Pakistan did well at the Asia Cup 2022 and reached the summit clash but Babar Azam’s performance was mediocre. Pakistan then faced England for a seven-match T20I series, which was followed by a tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh which helped them prepare for the T20 World Cup 2022. They won the tri-series, but Babar Azam’s show with the bat was under the scanner.

Babar notched up an unbeaten 110*(66) against England in the second match of the home series and then an unbeaten 59-ball 87* in the sixth match. He scored a 53-ball 79* against New Zealand in Christchurch during the tri-series, but he has not been consistent with the bat of late. Since the start of Asia Cup 2022, Babar has scored one century and three half-centuries but his runs have come patchily.

And his series of poor performances have also impacted Pakistan’s performance as a team because the team has not been able to perform under pressure. After losing the Asia Cup finals, Pakistan lost their T20 World Cup fixture against India and then faced a major upset when Zimbabwe defeated them on the last ball of the game in the ongoing World Cup.

Fans and experts believe that the captaincy is taking a toll on Babar’s individual performance. Babar took up the T20I captaincy in 2019 and it has been three years of him in the role. But because it is having a direct effect on his growth as a batter, at such a crucial stage of his career, probably it is time for him to give up the T20I captaincy and focus on his individual game.