Babar Azam under heavy fire

Pakistan (Commonwealth) _Following Men in Green’s T20 World Cup loss to India by six runs on Sunday, June 9, in New York, veteran Pakistani batsman Ahmed Shehzad and many more former legendary cricketers and social activists  unleashed a vicious attack on Babar Azam.

Babar-headed At the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, Pakistan chose to bowl first. They dismissed India for 119 in 19 overs thanks to Naseem Shah-Haris Rauf’s three fours and Mohammad Amir’s 2 for 23. They could only muster 113 for 7 in the run chase, though, thanks to 3 for 14 from Jasprit Bumrah and 2 for 24 from Hardik Pandya.

The Pakistani squad, captained by Babar Azam, has been the target of harsh criticism from both experts and fans due to their dismal performance in the current T20 World Cup 2024. In an attempt to find a reason for the team’s failure, the former Pakistani players have taken a hard line against Babar for both his leadership and the PCB. Joining the chorus of complaints, Ahmed Shehzad accused Babar of inciting prejudice among the team and fielding a roster full of his pals. He also criticized Babar for misleading the public.

Shehzad didn’t hold back after the game, criticizing Babar for his low strike-rate in Twenty20 Internationals and his failure to help the team win important matches. Shehzad, who finished his Pakistani career in 2019, claimed that Babar formed the foundation of the Pakistani squad via friendships.

The right-hander stated, “You have hallucinated people by scoring runs against B, C, and D teams,” on a Pakistani cricket show. PCB raised your pay so you could improve your game, but all you did was use their money to promote your image on social media.”

Shehzad went on to say, “Take a look at your statistics, average, strike rate, and significant tournament scores. Babar Azam is what type of a king? Jisne match nahi jitwana hai iss king ka kya karu. How do I handle a king that fails to win you matches? A statistic indicates that you have achieved high scores in losing causes.

The 32-year-old said, “Pakistan cricket is being harmed because you have chosen your friends and given them 40 matches to prove their worth.” Imran Nazir, a former Pakistani player, says, “You can give this 40-year-old 40 matches, and he will also give you performances at this age.” Take a look at our homegrown talent; they are being neglected and are fleeing the nation to play cricket in the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Shehzad chastised Babar for failing to assemble a cohesive squad in his five years as captain. In this context, he said, “You have five years to build the team as a middle-order batter and leader, but you haven’t been able to develop a single middle-order batter; there isn’t a proper all-rounder on the team.” fir neeche se aake aaknhe band karke maarte jaae, ji aap upar se 15 over khlele, aapko sirf thulle chahiye thee, kisi ko ban ne nahi diya. (You wanted to bat for 15 overs and then have these players come in and attempt to hit blindly; you did not develop anyone; you only needed people who batted blindly).

Before managing just 13 off 10 balls against India, he produced a poor 43-ball 44 against USA, whom Pakistan lost to in the Super Over. Many people have questioned his strike rate, which is a regular 129.77 in the format.

Furthermore, a lot of people have blamed him for not being able to bat with confidence against teams with greater strength. Nevertheless, Waqar Younis wouldn’t hold Babar Azam solely responsible for Pakistan’s defeat. Right now, Pakistan’s most despised cricket player is Babar Azam.

It is incorrect to hold Babar Azam solely responsible for Pakistan’s defeat. I believe that the middle order cost the squad the game. When it mattered most, the players couldn’t score runs. Nonetheless, Pakistan lost since not every member participated, according to Waqar Younis.

Babar Azam’s bowler rotation in the opening part of the Indian innings did not please Waqar Younis. The renowned cricket player went on to say that Babar Azam is a class player and that, in the absence of additional obligations, he may choose to demonstrate his class. Babar Azam is a major player, thus former captain Shoaib Malik has stated that he should give up the captaincy and concentrate just on his performance. He ought to score a lot in important games. Babar’s poor performance wasn’t the only reason the squad lost this game. Babar is not the only one to blame for this match’s defeat. For this loss, everyone has responsibility. Everybody ought to get criticism all the time. Malik stated: