Former Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir said that the captain needs to be blamed rather than the system for the team’s misfortune, especially in the current team’s case. However, Pakistan failed to make it to the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup, leading to several questions being thrown over Babar Azam’s captaincy and his future as captain alongside the structure of the team management.
Pakistan only won four matches at the 2023 ODI World Cup as well, with one of their five defeats coming against Afghanistan. They endured four successive defeats midway through the campaign, which also included a heavy loss to India and a narrow loss to South Africa as well.
While talking about the same system has been delivered before for Pakistan, Mohammad Amir said on Geo News’ ‘Haarana Mana Hay’: “What is the system? It is not a wall. Five and six people have been given responsibility to run the Pakistan cricket. A captain is also one of them. In 1992 under Imran Khan, we won the World Cup, the system was same. In 1999 our team was a world beater, who reached the finals. We won the 2009 T20 World Cup with the same system, we won the 2017 Champions Trophy under same system.”
READ MORE: “Can be the future captain of India” – Kiran More on Ruturaj Gaikwad
“Babar is captain for past four years. He has build his team on his own.Buttler is not part of our system, then why did England played so badly? Does the system in England also need a makeover?After 2015 debacle, Morgan said I want to play this brand of cricket, I want these 25 players,” Mohammad Amir again shared. “System remained the same, it is the captain, who changed his mindset. As long as captain’s mindset will not change, system can do nothing. Was it the system, who told him not to play Abrar Ahmad, or bench Fakhar after first match.”
However, several controversies were going on about Pakistan’s campaign. The players were reportedly not getting paid due to some issues in their new national contracts and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq stepping down amid conflict of interest claims as well. Meanwhile, their old-school approach with the bat, the pace bowling attack not firing, and spinners failing to do well in the entire tournament cost them early exit from the tournament.
READ MORE: Virat Kohli shares the importance of maintaining diet
And, Mohammad Amir also gave the example of Indian cricket and MS Dhoni as an example to show that it is generally not the system’s fault, especially if it has worked before as well. Dhoni was thrust into the captaincy role during the build-up to the 2007 T20 World Cup, and he retired in 2020 as one of the greatest captains of the game as well.
“We say Dhoni changed India’s cricket, but he never changed the system. People kept saying that for how long will he keep giving Jadeja and Ashwin chances. And now we say Jadeja is World’s best all-rounder. MS Dhoni has given them the team,” Mohammad Amir concluded.
