Former Pakistan pacer claims Kirsten's report triggered Babar Azam’s resignation as captain

Former Pakistan pacer Yasir Arafat has suggested that a confidential report by white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten played a pivotal role in Babar Azam's resignation as Pakistan's captain. 

Following Pakistan’s disappointing early exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Kirsten reportedly submitted a report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), highlighting key issues behind the team's poor performance.

The report, which was later leaked to the media, pointed to leadership challenges under Babar Azam during both the England tour and the World Cup. Pakistan, led by Babar, was knocked out in the group stage, suffering shocking defeats, including an upset loss to co-hosts USA and a closely contested match against arch-rivals India.

Three months after the World Cup, Babar announced his decision to step down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain, citing a desire to focus more on his batting. However, Arafat believes the resignation was closely linked to Kirsten’s analysis. 

“If you remember, after the end of the T20 World Cup 2024 Gary Kirsten wrote a report,” Arafat said.

“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, he [Kirsten] had analyzed that Babar was not the perfect candidate for Pakistan captaincy.”

While Kirsten reportedly supported Babar continuing as ODI captain, he recommended a change for the T20I format. Ultimately, Babar chose to resign from both formats, informing PCB officials before making his decision public.