Gautam Gambhir, former Indian national cricket team opener and former Pakistan National Cricket Team Pacer Wasim Akram has advised Babar Azam to step down from the PSL captaincy ahead of the 2024 edition of the competition.

Babar is no longer the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team in all formats. After Pakistan’s disastrous World Cup campaign, PCB sacked him as white-ball captain and asked him to continue as red-ball captain, which he denied and relinquished the captaincy completely.

Babar Azam, the most successful batsman in the history of PSL, has been retained in the platinum category by Peshawar Zalmi and is expected to lead the team in PSL 2024. However, Wasim Akram is against Babar taking up the leadership responsibility in the cricket franchise and wants him to play only as a batsman.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, Akram revealed that he had advised Babar to resign as captain of the PSL a few years ago. Great Pakistan said:

“A couple of years ago I gave Babar Azam an idea not to be a captain in the cricket league. [You’re a] Great player, take your money, play your game, get runs, go home and then on to the next event. Pakistan captaincy is fine, but the league creates additional stress for no reason.”

“I think you will now see the best of Babar Azam” – Gautam Gambhir

During the same discussion, Gautam Gambhir said that Babar will unleash his true self in the upcoming Australia series as he will not have the burden of being captain.

“I think now you will see the best of Babar Azam, you will see a completely different Babar Azam because I chose Babar Azam before the World Cup. I told him that he would be the batsman of the tournament, but the pressure of captaincy [let him down].”

“When you are captain in a World Cup and the team doesn’t do well, then you can imagine the pressure on the captain,” he added.

“Now you will see the real Babar Azam, whom no one has seen. I don’t know what Babar Azam’s records are, but from now on you will see his real skill.”

Gambhir further said that Babar will not get anything by winning the PSL trophy and he needs to focus on his batting. The great Indian batsman also opined that Babar can become the best batsman ever produced by Pakistan.

“Yes, it is not necessary because Babar does not have to prove anything. Babar Azam will achieve nothing by winning the PSL. Honestly, Babar Azam has a lot of quality, he can go out and become the best batsman Pakistan has ever produced,” said Gambhir.

“And he is 27 or 28 years old (actually 29), he has another 10 years left and now he will be 10 years old because there is no captaincy pressure.” he added she.