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Pakistan Legend Criticises Babar Azam's captaincy; Questions his Leadership Credentials

image-lfj8omgsBabar Azam has been rested from Pakistan's upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan 

Former Pakistan Test cricketer, Sikander Bakht, has expressed his opinion on the leadership skills of current national team captain, Babar Azam.

In a recent interview on a YouTube channel, Bakht suggested that Azam has much to learn as a captain and is not a born leader.

The Pakistan veteran opined that "there are so many people who are born as leaders. Babar is not a born leader," and went on to elaborate on Azam's shortcomings as a captain. Specifically, he noted that Babar must improve his ability to utilize all his players and react to different situations in the game.

Bakht illustrated his point by highlighting Mushtaq Ahmed's leadership style during his captaincy. He recounted how Ahmed effectively utilized Wasim Raja, one of the great all-rounders of his time, to provide a breakthrough in critical situations during a match.

The cricketer-turned-analyst suggested that the Pakistan skipper's captaincy is often scripted, relying on pre-planned strategies that may not be effective in real-game situations. According to him, cricket is a game of situations and being a captain, you have to be smart enough to react in different situations, if you don't, then you are not a good captain.

The 65-year-old stated, emphasizing the importance of being adaptable and flexible in the face of changing circumstances. Furthermore, Bakht also stated that he initially had reservations about Azam's appointment as captain.

"When he was given the captaincy, I said in my interview that he wasn't a good choice. I wanted him to prove me wrong by showing his captaincy but he didn't," concluded the erstwhile cricketer.

Although Bakht expressed reservations about Babar's leadership, it is worth noting that the Pakistan captain has achieved considerable success as a captain. Pakistan have won 40 international matches out of 60 played from 2019 to 2022 under his leadership, and he also led the team to the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, and the Asia Cup 2022.