The ex-wicketkeeper-batsman has even unleashed furious criticism against Babar Azam, calling him one of the weakest captains Pakistan has ever produced. The man who was only recently actively captaining Pakistan in all formats up to November 2023. But he was brought back as a captain for the limited-overs format in March 2024.
Nevertheless, he regained the Pakistan T20I captaincy before the 2024 T20 World Cup, but Pakistan performed poorly, and there is doubt whether or not he will remain captain.
Criticism of Babar Azam’s Leadership Skills
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Atiq-uz-Zaman has bluntly questioned Babar Azam’s leadership and stressed that he seemed to have many fears of pressure and has never admitted his blunders, which Atiq concluded were detrimental to his captaincy capability.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Atiq said,
I never heard him say he has pressure, or yeah, he made wrong decisions, etc. One of the weakest captains in Pakistani history.
This comes at a time when the nation is concerned with Pakistan’s cricketing output and Babar Azam’s captaincy, particularly with the team’s premature elimination in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. There have been criticisms about Babar Azam’s leadership and questions about some of the decisions that he made.
Atiq was of the view that mistakes are part of leadership, particularly when a captain admits them because it boosts the team’s morale. The comments have raised discussion among the fan base and critics regarding the present position and future of Pakistani cricket under Babar Azam’s current management.
Participation in the T20 World Cup
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Also, due to the T20 World Cup, Babar Azam’s bowling was great, as he scored 122 runs in four T20 World Cup matches at a 40 average. 66 having a strike rate of one hundred and one. But in terms of contribution, he can be credited with having a reasonable World Cup, although Pakistan cricket’s experience in this particular tournament was highly unpredictable and modest.
The other low was when the team lost to the United States and India, and this was a clear indication that the team had some early flaws in implementing their strategies. But they were able to wriggle out of the wash with some dignity intact, with wins over Canada and Ireland in later encounters. These triumphs only showed some hints of Pakistan’s capability but failed to guarantee them a place in the Super 12 phase.
Problems Unsolved for Pakistan’s Skipper
Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam feels the heat due to the criticism that has been voiced by Atiq-uz-Zaman, especially as questions about his leadership skills arise each time after the team’s early elimination from the T20 World Cup.
Thus, Atiq, using his experience, has pointed out that Babar Azam’s perceived indifference to stress or conceding his errors has raised concern about his leadership style and its effect on morale and performance.
The T20 World Cup series, in which Pakistan has been beaten by the USA and India, further added pressure on Babar Azam as the captain of the team. They failed to meet international standards and thus received criticism across different platforms.
Being the current icon of Pakistan cricket and a brilliant batsman, Babar Azam has pressure not only from the fans but also from critics and other interested columns, including the former cricketers. Essentially, the early elimination from the tournament has led to a debate in certain circles regarding the change of leadership and certain strategies for the future.
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