Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have finally been axed by the PCB for their poor performances in the recent past. Although it is quite clear, that the ouster from the team is only temporary, and the duo will certainly be back soon. But then former PAK spinner Saeed Ajmal has raised an objection over the ouster of Babar particularly, for the New Zealand white-ball series.
Babar Azam & Mohammad Rizwan Axed for Pakistan vs New Zealand
In the recent Champions Trophy, Babar scored 87 runs in two innings, at an average of 43, but his strike-rate was under criticism. “(You have only one star). If you degrade him also, then how will your cricket run? These are the big issues. Our former cricketers should keep their mouths shut,” Ajmal said during an interview with an Indian sports magazine.
Ajmal also used the example of Sachin Tendulkar, who despite failing a few times, was retained by the management. “As a cricketer, one must realise that bad patches are part of a player’s career. You can’t play cricket the same way all your life. Even if you were Tendulkar, you couldn’t score 100 in every match,” he explained.
Saeed Ajmal Says, Dropping Babar Wrong
“The way you’ve removed them is wrong. It’s not like they are the only ones who haven’t scored,” said Ajmal. “Ideally, the selectors should sit with Babar and discuss his workload, so he can come back stronger,” he added. Also, he was severe on the talks surrounding Babar’s strike-rate.
“Come on, what aggression are we talking about? If they are your proven matchwinners, you don’t need aggression. Even legends like Virat often pace their innings before attacking—that’s his style,” Ajmal concluded.
