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'Didn't Improve As A Captain' - Former Pakistan Cricketer Criticizes Babar Azam's Captaincy

image-lpnrzr6bBabar Azam & co. [Ap photos]

Former Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan expressed his views on Babar Azam's captaincy, claiming that the star batter showed no signs of improvement during his four-year stint as skipper. 

Junaid, who himself played a crucial role under former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed during Pakistan's victorious 2017 Champions Trophy campaign, argued that Babar's leadership lacked the necessary progress and aggression required at the international level.

Reflecting on Sarfaraz Ahmed's leadership journey in a recent podcast interview with Nadir Shah, Khan pointed out the noticeable improvements the former captain made over time. Under Sarfaraz's guidance, Pakistan achieved significant milestones, such as winning the prestigious Champions Trophy and attaining the status of the World No.1 team in T20Is.


Here's what he said:

"Babar had not improved as a captain. If you see Saifi bhai (Sarfaraz Khan), he kept improving day by day. We won the Champions Trophy under his leadership, became World No.1 in the T20Is. People say we became ODI No.1 team under Babar’s captaincy. But we became No.1 by playing against weak teams. Babar is not a quick learner. He is a world-class batter but his captaincy was not up to the mark." 

Junaid Khan further compared Babar Azam to successful international captains like Pat Cummins and Virat Kohli, he further added:

"Look at Pat Cummins, he won the ODI World Cup for Australia. He is aggressive, he walks the talk. Virat Kohli also struggled but he has that aggression. He struggled after MS Dhoni retired, but he still has a good record. People will say Dhoni and Stephen Fleming were not aggressive but they know how to lead a side. Babar doesn’t have those traits. You need to show aggression to boost the boys. He has captained all the formats for four years but there was no progress."

With Babar Azam stepping down as captain from all three formats following Pakistan's disappointing 2023 World Cup campaign, the national team is set to embark on a new era under the leadership of Shan Masood. 

The upcoming Test series against Australia, scheduled to begin on December 14 in Perth, will be a crucial test for the team as they look to move forward with a fresh perspective. Pakistan will also play a tour match against Australian PM XI from December 6-9 in Canberra, providing an opportunity for the players to acclimate to the conditions down under.