• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Change In Captaincy Former India Star Reveals Why Pakistan Is Struggling Across Formats

'Change In Captaincy' - Former India Star Reveals Why Pakistan Is Struggling Across Formats

image-lrtgof6aBabar Azam during WC 2023 (x.com)

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has raised concerns about the timing of the decision to remove Babar Azam from the captaincy, suggesting that the move was not appropriately timed and may have contributed to a backward rather than forward progression for Pakistan cricket.

Following a disappointing World Cup campaign, the PCB compelled Babar to relinquish the captaincy. Eventually, he was succeeded by Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi as the captains in the Test and white-ball formats, respectively.

Expressing his opinion on the matter, Harbhajan questioned the timing of Babar Azam's removal from captaincy, which occurred alongside a complete overhaul of the coaching staff by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following the team's exit in the World Cup league stage in October-November.

The Turbanator noted that the decision appeared to be a reaction to Pakistan's underwhelming performance in the World Cup. However, he expressed skepticism about the timing, suggesting that decisions made too late can have negative consequences, and this might be a reason for the setback in Pakistan's cricket progress.

"The change in captaincy was a reaction to the World Cup. Pakistan's team did not perform well, and it was a reaction to that. It's evident that cricket holds significant importance in both India and Pakistan, and if a team doesn't perform well in the World Cup, it can have a profound impact on players' careers," said Harbhajan Singh in an interview with Cricket Pakistan.


"I think it was a reaction, but I believe the decision was not taken at the right time. Sometimes, a decision made too late can set you back, and perhaps this decision is one of the reasons that Pakistan's cricket has progressed backward rather than forward," he added.

While acknowledging Babar's skills, the spin legend stressed the need to recognize the contributions of other talented players in the Pakistan team. 

"Babar is a good player, but alongside him, there are other talented players in the team as well. It's a common tendency in both of our countries [India and Pakistan] that we often praise one player extensively, sometimes overlooking the contributions of other players. While Virat Kohli is often praised, similarly, there's much talk about Babar. However, teams don't win solely because of one player, they win when the entire team performs well," he said.

The change in captaincy hasn't worked so far for Pakistan, led by Shan, as they lost the three-match Test series in Australia. This was followed by another disappointing showing in the five-match T20I series in New Zealand, which they lost by 4-1.