Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has termed Babar Azam’s decision to resume the Test captaincy a mistake.
Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan captain and “Sultan of Swing,” made the remarks while speaking to the media at a fundraising event in Manchester.
Commenting on reports that Babar was unaware of changes involving seven players and the coach before the third Test against England, Wasim questioned how the captain could be unaware of such important decisions.
He said that if Babar did not know about the changes, it raised questions about what role he was playing as captain.
Wasim added that, whether as a player or an individual, he believes no one can give 100 per cent when their leader or captain does not stand by them.
According to Wasim, Babar should have stepped down from the captaincy after the second Test and informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that he would continue playing only as a player.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam had admitted that his team failed to perform in batting, bowling and fielding during the previous Test, saying the poor all-round performance affected the result.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference in Birmingham, Babar said criticism was inevitable if the team failed to perform and produce results. “If we don’t play well and don’t get results, these things will happen,” he said.
Babar said Pakistan had selected its strongest possible playing XI according to the conditions at Lord’s, but the team could not produce the desired result. He added that there was no difficulty in deciding the playing XI for the next Test.
The captain also urged Pakistan’s new players to make the most of their opportunities. “This is a golden opportunity for the new players to make a name for themselves and show their abilities,” Babar said, adding that players must perform consistently across all formats.