Babar Azam's captaincy under fire amid World Cup woes: Selectors to take call

Pakistan’s chances in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 are hanging by a thread as they’ve faced three consecutive defeats. Led by Babar Azam, the 1992 World Cup champions suffered losses against India and Australia, and their woes continued with a significant setback against Afghanistan. Former Pakistani cricketers have strongly criticized Babar Azam and the team for their lackluster performance in the tournament, intensifying calls for Babar’s removal as captain.

Wasim Akram, Misbah ul Haq, Ramiz Raja, Rashid Latif, Muhammad Hafeez, Aaqib Javed, Shoaib Malik, Moin Khan, and Shoaib Akhtar were unanimous in holding Babar responsible for Pakistan’s consecutive defeats against India, Australia, and Afghanistan.

Aaqib expressed his opinion to PTI, suggesting that Shaheen Shah Afridi should be appointed as the captain of the Pakistan team in white-ball formats, replacing Babar.

Former Pakistan players call for Babar Azam’s captaincy removal

“Shaheen is the best bet for the future of Pakistan cricket. Babar has failed to prove himself as an able captain in white ball formats,” Aaqib Javed said.

Meanwhile Pakistan legend Wasim Akram said, “The fielding and body language of the players was very poor and unconvincing (against Afghanistan). They just didn’t appear capable of defending 283 which is not a small total. The bowling was ordinary and the fielding levels were pathetic.”

“In modern day cricket how do you expect to do well if you are not 100 percent fit? How can you take catches or stop boundaries? “The way some of our players fielded it appeared as if they were enjoying a diet of rich dishes and food,” he further said.

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Misbah criticized Babar’s leadership, further stating that his captaincy fell short of expectations, and he found his bowling changes and field placements to be amateurish.

“He has wasted Haris Rauf by bringing him on in the power play when there are only two fielders outside the circle. Haris was hit in his first over (against Australia) and he lost all confidence. He should be brought on with at least a sweeper at cover and three other fielders on the leg-side deep,” Misbah said.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Razzaq accused Babar of negatively impacting the performance of other players and pointed out that during the match against Bangladesh, Shafique was batting aggressively, but the game took a different turn once Babar came to bat.

“When Babar bats slowly it has an adverse effect on other batters who then can’t play their natural game and this is affecting Pakistan’s strike rate in this tournament,” Razzaq said.

Can Pakistan still qualify for semifinals?

Babar Azam’s team currently holds the fifth position in the points table, having secured two wins from five games and a net run rate of -0.40. Consequently, they now face the uphill task of winning all four of their remaining matches against England, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh if they hope to qualify for the semifinals.

Cricket