Should Babar Azam step down as captain? Shahid Afridi weighs in
Babar said he had resigned when he thought that he should not continue and that he had announced it himself.
“It was returned to me by the PCB and when we go back, we will discuss what transpired here. In case I have to step down, I will announce it myself publicly,” he said.
“For now, I haven’t decided on it yet. However, if the board wants, I can step down […] If the PCB chairman thinks there’s a need for surgery, we’ll talk about it.”
At times, he said, the team was good with the bowl and not with the bat. “…but we could not click with the bat. Even when we had the match, we lost wickets which is why we lost two crucial matches. We were putting pressure on the other teams, but then we started losing wickets.”
Talking about the condition of the team, he said: “We are in more pain than you are in; players and the management, are all in pain. We could not play the level of cricket which was expected of us.”
he was ready to step down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the Green Shirts’ disastrous performance at the T20 World Cup, but stressed that all players were responsible for the debacle.
“We did not perform well as a team, it isn’t because of one person that we lost; we could not click as a team,” Babar said during a post-match press conference in Florida after his side beat Ireland.
Captain Babar guided Pakistan through a nervy chase as they ended their T20 World Cup campaign with a three-wicket win over Ireland in the last Group A match, a dead rubber after both teams were already eliminated.
Pakistan finished third in the five-team group with four points after losing to India and the United States, who progressed to the Super Eight stage.
The Green Shirts did not start their campaign on a high note as they lost to minnows US and then, despite restricting India to a low total, the batters could not perform.
“We did not play well as a team, it isn’t one man’s responsibility. Although I am the captain, I can’t be everywhere, just like I said, we didn’t click as a team,” the skipper said.
While,
Shahid Afridi, a legend of Pakistani cricket and former captain himself, has sparked fresh debate about Babar Azam’s leadership. Following Pakistan’s disappointing T20 World Cup exit, Afridi suggested that Azam might consider relinquishing the captaincy.
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Afridi, known for his aggressive batting style, believes a more proactive leader might be needed for the T20 format. He emphasized that Azam has had a long run as captain, having led the team in multiple World Cups.
“Babar has been fortunate to captain in so many World Cups,” Afridi said in a conversation with Sama TV. “Perhaps it’s time for him to focus solely on his batting, which is his true strength. The team might benefit from a captain with a more aggressive approach in T20 cricket.”
Afridi’s comments come amidst discussions about Pakistan’s recent struggles in major tournaments. The team’s early exit from the T20 World Cup has led to calls for introspection and potential changes in leadership.
However, the final decision on Babar Azam’s captaincy rests with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). It remains to be seen if the board will consider Afridi’s suggestion or continue to back Azam at the helm.
