Babar Azam to Retire From International Cricket After Champions Trophy Loss? No!

We checked the social media handles of the player but found no posts to indicate that he announced his retirement.

Fact-Check: The claim is fake. Azam has made no such statements. 

(Source: The Quint)

A viral screenshot on social media claims to show a post by Pakistani cricketer Babar Azam announcing his retirement from international cricket after the team’s bad performance in the ongoing Champions Trophy tournament.

Users and fans of the sport have written their goodbye messages for Azam. One such user. wrote, "Goodbye Babar Azam, we will remember your sacrifices for the Pakistan team." (sic.)

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Facebook) 

(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false.

• The cricketer has not given any public statements about his alleged retirement. Similarly, there are no media reports or formal press releases by the Pakistani authorities about the same.

What we found: We checked Azam’s official social media accounts and found no posts or announcements regarding his alleged retirement.

• We went through the official social media platforms and press statements of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). No reference was made to Babar Azam's retirement from international cricket.

• At present, Azam is included in Pakistan’s teams for all three formats according to the most recent squad announcements on PCB's website.

Test Squad as per PCB's website.

ODI Squad as per PCB's website.

T20I Squad as per PCB's website.

• Additionally, there are no credible media reports to prove the validity of this claim.

• This claim comes after Pakistan's defeat in the recent Champions Trophy game.

Conclusion: A fake statement attributed to Azam has gone viral to falsely claim that he announced his retirement.

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