Babar Azam | Source: X.com
Pakistan’s recent struggles in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 have sparked criticism from former cricketer Ahmed Shehzad, who took aim at captain Babar Azam’s leadership.
Following a disappointing loss to India where Pakistan failed to chase a modest target of 120, Shehzad, a member of Pakistan’s 2009 T20 World Cup winning team, expressed his frustration on Babar’s captaincy and performance.
Shehzad accused Babar of misleading Pakistani fans.
“You claim to be the world’s best player,” he remarked, “Explain how your 1400 runs come from losing matches. What kind of king or No. 1 batsman has 1400 runs and ranks No. 3 in the world, but his team loses whenever he scores?”
His criticism centred on Babar Azam prioritizing personal achievements over team success.
“You have highlighted minor achievements on social media so much that you have fooled the Pakistani public,” Shehzad added.
Shehzad further pointed fingers at team selection and player development under Babar’s leadership:
“You use young players who need grooming and make them criticized on social media. Look at Saim Ayub and Azam Khan. You left Azam Khan alone. Any player who plays two domestic matches reports an injury and goes out. But when PSL and Pakistan cricket come, they get fit again,” he stated.
Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the Super 8s stage are in jeopardy after these consecutive losses. Their upcoming matches against Canada (June 11) and Ireland (June 15) hold immense importance.
