Former India player turned commentator Virender Sehwag said that Babar Azam doesn’t deserve a place in the T20I team if Pakistan bring changes in leadership following their underwhelming campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Babar’s captaincy and batting came under scanner after Pakistan failed to reach the Super 8 following their losses at the hands of the USA and arch-rivals India as well.
“Babar Azam is not a player who will hit sixes. He only hits sixes when he is set and spinners are operating. I have never seen him using his feet to fast bowlers or hitting sixes over the covers; it’s not his game as he plays safe cricket by hitting on the ground. So, he consistently scores runs and his strike-rate isn’t great,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
“But as a leader you have to think whether this game is useful for his team. If not, then demote yourself and send someone who can play big shots in the six overs and get the team 50–60 runs. I may sound harsh, but if the captain changes, Babar doesn’t deserve a place in the T20 team. His performances are not as per the demands of today’s T20 cricket,” Sehwag further added.
Meanwhile, veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has advised Babar Azam to step down from the captaincy. Malik, a former Pakistan captain himself has added that Babar should focus on his batting.
“I think I would immediately resign from the captaincy and focus on my cricket. It has happened to me. I was asked to be captain again in 2009/10 and I did not accept it because I wanted to focus on my cricket. If I was Babar I would do the exact same thing. Babar’s numbers reflect that as well. If he can improve, be better for the country, then do it,” Malik said on a Ten Sports Pakistan show.
“A captain should create players for you. Babar has captained in 147 internationals, and has captained in 6 ICC tournaments, but he has not won any. Babar has captained in 127 white ball games and he has not rested himself in any of them. This is a big question mark. I think there was just one game where he rested himself and that too where the board asked him to,” he concluded.
