Former Pakistan cricket captain, Shoaib Malik, took center stage by openly blaming Babar Azam for Pakistan’s defeat against Afghanistan. Malik, along with former captains Wasim Akram and Misbah-ul-Haq, expressed their dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s performance in the tournament.
Malik’s assessment was particularly pointed; he praised Babar Azam’s expertise as a batsman but questioned his abilities as a captain. This sentiment was seconded by former cricketer Moeen Khan, who concurred with Malik’s assessment, noting that despite leading the Pakistan team in major events for four years, there appeared to be little to no improvement in Babar’s captaincy.
Khan emphasized the importance of captains evolving and learning from their experiences over time.
Wasim Akram, another cricket legend, also weighed in on the defeat, highlighting that assigning blame to a single individual would be overly simplistic. In his view, responsibility should be shared across the board, extending to the chairman of the cricket board, coaches, chief selectors, directors, and captains.
Furthermore, Akram expressed his frustration with the state of the players’ fitness, revealing that fitness tests had not been conducted for the past two years, raising questions about the physical preparedness of the Pakistani team.
The defeat to Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup has exploded a debate about Babar Azam’s captaincy and has led to broader discussions about the structure and performance of the Pakistan cricket team. While Babar Azam continues to shine as a formidable batsman, it appears that the role of captaincy is under inquiry, prompting calls for improvements in this critical aspect of the team’s leadership.
