After former Pakistani batter Basit Ali attributed the national team’s failure in international cricket to Babar Azam’s conflict with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam’s leadership has come under increased scrutiny.
According to Basit, Pakistan cricket suffered as a result of their disagreement over the captaincy. Following Pakistan’s devastating 194-run loss to England at Lord’s, which left them 0-2 behind in the three-match Test series, Basit made these shocking remarks.
Pakistan’s performances in the first two Test matches have drawn harsh criticism; the team is said to have put up little resistance against Joe Root’s team.
Basit Ali’s Rift Claim Between Babar And Shaheen
Babar resigned as Pakistan’s captain, while Shaheen assumed the T20I captaincy after the 2023 ODI World Cup. But after Pakistan’s dismal performance in New Zealand, Babar reclaimed the position and Shaheen was stripped of the captaincy. According to Basit, a rift between the two senior players was caused by the shift in leadership.
“Babar Azam is not a strong captain. I am not speaking about this based on the performance in England. He has made many wrong decisions. The main reason for Pakistan cricket’s downfall is the rift between Shaheen and Babar. When there was a falling-out between the two over the captaincy, Pakistan cricket was ruined that day,” Ali said on the ‘Game Plan’ show.
“Many statements were made, saying Shaheen is a very good bowler and Babar is a very good bowler. The rift, whoever created that, the side effects can be seen now,” he added.
Pakistan Cricket Going Through Rough Patch
Babar was stripped of T20I captaincy once again after Pakistan’s failure to advance to the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals. Subsequently, the squad appointed different captains for each format: Salman Ali Agha led the T20Is, Babar led the Test team, and Shaheen led the ODI team. After the defeat in the Lord’s Test, the PCB made additional adjustments. Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan were among the seven players sent home, along with Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling head Umar Gul.
For ,s third and final Test match against England in Birmingham, white-ball coach Mike Hesson will be in command. took Shan Masood’s place as Test captain earlier this year. He started his career with a two-match series against the West Indies that ended in a tie, but his leadership and batting performance have come under fire.
Shaheen has been excluded from Pakistan’s red-ball plans, and meanwhile, the right-hander has gone four years without reaching a Test century.