India defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday, October 15, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This was Pakistan’s second defeat to India in two months, and has sparked a debate over the future of Babar Azam as captain of the national side.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has weighed in on the debate, saying that he believes Babar should step down as captain. Malik stated that Babar is a wonderful player, but he does not have the qualities of a good leader. He also pointed out that Babar has been unable to improve himself as a captain over time.
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“Look, I will give you my honest opinion on this. I have already said this in previous interviews that Babar should leave captaincy, it is just my opinion but there’s a lot of homework behind it. Babar, as a player, can do wonders for himself as well as the team,” Shoaib Malik said in an interview with A Sports.
“It is my personal opinion and that is not because we lost the game today [against India] or we lost by a big margin, no it [my opinion] is not built on that,” he continued.
Malik also pointed out that Babar Azam is someone who does not think out of the box when under pressure, despite having led the side for a long time now. He also said that Babar’s batting skills should not be merged with his leadership aspects.
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“I think that Babar, as a leader, doesn’t think out of the box. One shouldn’t mix his leadership with his batting skills as they both are different. He has been a captain for a long time now, but he hasn’t been able to improve himself,” Shoaib Malik concluded.
Malik’s comments have sparked a debate among fans and experts alike. Some agree with Malik, believing that Babar is not the right person to lead Pakistan. Others believe that Babar should be given more time to prove himself as captain. It remains to be seen whether Babar will step down as captain of Pakistan. However, Malik’s comments have certainly added fuel to the fire.
