Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has sharply criticised Babar Azam’s captaincy during the recent Test series in England, questioning the skipper’s awareness of significant team changes ahead of the final match.
The three-Test series in the UK ended poorly for Pakistan. Following a defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made major changes for the third Test at Edgbaston, including the removal of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, bowling coach Umar Gul, and seven players-among them senior figures Mohammed Rizwan and Imam ul Haq.
Babar Azam himself struggled initially with three low scores before scoring a rapid 76 in the last innings, though Pakistan ultimately lost the match.
Akram expressed the view that Babar should not have resumed the captaincy, suggesting the decisions made were unnecessary. Speaking at an event in Manchester, he said, “I do not want to blame anyone, and I could be wrong as well, but in my opinion, Babar should not have taken the captaincy. All of this was unnecessary.”
Before the third Test, when asked about the squad changes, Babar reportedly said it was “news to him,” indicating he had not been informed about the alterations.
Akram questioned Babar’s role as captain given this lack of awareness, stating, “Babar Azam said he did not know. If you don’t know, then what were you doing here? Were you here to sell chickpeas?” He added, “As a player or as a person, I believe that if your leader or captain does not stand by you, you cannot give 100 per cent.”
Akram also suggested that Babar should have relinquished the captaincy and played as a regular team member for the final Test. “My suggestion is that after the second Test, Babar should have said that he would play only as a player,” he remarked.
Babar was reinstated as Test captain in July, replacing Shan Masood ahead of the West Indies and England tours. During his earlier tenure from 2020 to 2023, he captained Pakistan in 20 Tests, achieving 10 wins, six defeats and four draws.
Following his return to leadership, Pakistan drew the Test series 1-1 in the West Indies, with Babar earning ‘Player of the Series’ honours after scoring two fifties and 193 runs overall.
Pakistan faced further setbacks after the Edgbaston Test, receiving sanctions for a slow over-rate that left the team 11 overs short. As a result, players were fined 50 per cent of their match fees and Pakistan were deducted 11 points in the ICC World Test Championship standings. This penalty has placed Pakistan ninth in the rankings with a 4.63 points percentage.