In frame: Babar Azam and Mohd. Rizwan (Source:@hazharoon/X.com)
Pakistan's early exit from another ICC event has caused hell to break loose. This was not the first time that the Men In Green faltered so terribly, however, this was certainly the first-time that a host nation became the first to exit the tournament without winning any of their group-stage matches.
Pakistan Crash Out Of Champions Trophy
Host-nation, Pakistan crashed out of Champions Trophy 2025, after suffering two consecutive defeats. They first lost to New Zealand by 60 runs at home and then Virat Kohli's blitzing ton guided India to victory in their very next game thereby quashing Pakistan's hopes further.
It is not a surprise that Pakistan is receiving criticism from every nook and cranny, with many former cricketers highlighting that the crisis in the national team was not recently built rather the signs were there in the making for a few years. Pakistan's former skipper Babar Azam has come under fire for allegedly, selecting his 'friends' in the team and overlooking others who arguably had more merit.
Ahmed Shehzad On Babar Azam
Former opening star, Ahmed Shehzad opined that it's a sad state to witness Babar in this condition. He noted that when the 30-year-old player began his career, he was expected to break records for Pakistan. However, Shehzad believes that the player's downfall started when he became captain. Instead of focusing on merit, the player selected friends for the team. In an interview with Sports Today, Shehzad said:
"It's sad to see him in this condition. When he started his career, it seemed he would break all records for Pakistan. But now, everything is in front of you-players don't fail for this long. It was a mistake to make a performer the captain. After becoming captain, he surrounded himself with friends and selected them for the team, disregarding merit. When you favour friends over deserving players, the wheels of domestic cricket stop turning, as genuine performers don't get enough chances."
He also spoke about the 'political interference in Pakistan' and added:
"Political interference has always been there; there's no doubt. But the condition of the team is not because of the last two years, this has been happening for a while now. When you don't bring in reforms, when you don't honour merit, and when you don't control indiscipline in the team, sooner or later, these results will come."
Babar Azam, a stylish batter has struggled to perform in marquee ICC tournaments, managing only 653 runs in 22 innings at a poor average of 32.65. His lackluster form across formats reflects a crisis of confidence. With Pakistan’s group-stage exit from the Champions Trophy, Babar’s prolonged lean patch may lead to him facing the axe ahead of the next ICC event.
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 "Muskaan Bhatt")
