‘Resignations 2, trophies 0’: Memes flood internet after Babar Azam quits ODI T20i captaincy

Babar Azam has resigned as the captain of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team, a decision that has sparked widespread criticism and mockery on social media. The announcement came via his X account, marking another tumultuous chapter in the career of the batter.

Babar’s captaincy journey began in 2019, but it has been marred by a lack of significant achievements. Under his leadership, Pakistan failed to secure victory in any major tournaments, including a disheartening performance at the ODI World Cup in 2023. Although he briefly stepped down after that tournament, he was reinstated in March 2024. However, his second stint ended similarly in disappointment as Pakistan could not reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.

Following Babar’s resignation, Shaheen Afridi was appointed as the new white-ball captain, while Shan Masood continued to lead the Test team. However, Afridi’s tenure was short-lived due to a disappointing 4-1 series loss against New Zealand, leading to Babar’s return to captaincy in limited overs cricket. Yet, this latest resignation has drawn sharp criticism from fans who took to social media to express their discontent.

Comments flooded in with users highlighting Babar’s lack of trophies during his captaincy and questioning his leadership abilities. One user sarcastically noted that Babar had become the first captain to be removed twice within a year. Others lamented that he should never have accepted the captaincy again after his initial resignation.
 

Babar Azam’s individual statistics remain impressive; he has played 54 Test matches, scoring nearly 4,000 runs at an average of 54.63. In ODIs and T20Is, he has amassed over 5,700 and 4,100 runs respectively. However, these achievements have been overshadowed by his team’s collective failures on the international stage.

As Pakistan prepares for a three-match Test series against England starting October 7 in Multan, the cricketing community will be watching closely to see how this leadership change impacts the team dynamics moving forward.