Babar Azam has been under a lot of pressure about his management position, both as the batsman and the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. The focus was further brought in after Pakistan’s below-par performance in the ODI matches, where the team could only secure four of their nine games in the league stage. Lack of coordination was also evident in Babar’s performance.
He could manage only an 82-strike rate from the batsman’s point of view. 90 series and managed to score 320 runs in total in nine matches they played. His poor show put him in the dock once again, and people started to criticize him for being a weak performer, especially at the crucial junctures of any match.
Due to this sort of criticism, Babar Azam decided once to leave the captaincy of the cricket team. So, the team captaincy was given to Shaheen Afridi, and in Test cricket, the Test captaincy went to Shan Masood. This was expected to ease some pressure on Babar to bowl more to be able to perform with the bat.
A Try at Leadership Again
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Nevertheless, Babar was again appointed the captain of the Pakistan T20I side this April, even after resigning from the role. But he has again become its captain, and this time it is not as successful as the first time. Pakistan hosted New Zealand in the home series which was not quite good.
Pakistan’s performance was very poor during their tour, and things were worsened by a disastrous T20 World Cup campaign. The team failed to reach the knockout stage and had even been beaten by both the USA and India. Therefore, they were subjected to a lot of scrutiny in the country and from the experts.
Leadership and Batting Under Scrutiny
With Babar Azam leading the side, expectations from the team and his batting have been high. In recent matches, he has lacked leadership when serving as captain for his team and has scored below average in the four matches he has played with an average of more than 100.
Instead, this disappointing performance has incited a lot of fan and analyst backlash. Babar Azam was seen in the video where Babar appeared to be in discomfort while attempting to play a shot against Naseem Shah’s brother Ubaid Shah in the nets.
This video clip, which was widely circulated online, showed Babar being struck on the body when he was trying to pull a shot. Of course, this footage has only served to continue the speculation regarding the physical condition and form of the Pakistan cricket captain.
Change in Pakistan Cricket on the Horizon
For Pakistan cricket, a big shake-up may be in order after the ill-fated T20 World Cup campaign. The group stage elimination that was characterized by unexpected losses to the United States and India has led to the team’s review by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
It is expected that some of the exemplary cricketers, such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi, could be downgraded from their central contracts to the next season. These are some of the potential changes that signal the PCB’s intention to rectify all the wrongs that have befallen the team and gradually try to fashion a new epoch of cricketing glory.
These measures could have long-term effects; still, their effectiveness is questionable, but one thing is sure: they are marking a change in Pakistan cricket. The nation is in the process of trying to reconstruct its cricketing organization and has a general vision of developing a stronger team. As a result, the emphasis will most probably be placed on youth performances, fine-tuning tactics, and making sure that key veterans are in prima forma condition.
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