Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram heavily criticized Babar Azam’s leadership following a disastrous 3-0 Test series whitewash against England and a chaotic mid-series PCB overhaul. Akram questioned Babar’s lack of awareness regarding the dismissal of players and staff, suggesting he should have stepped down from the captaincy.
Former Pakistan captain and pace bowling legend Wasim Akram launched a scathing attack on Test captain Babar Azam after the Pakistan Cricket Board’s drastic mid-series overhaul during their tour of England.
Under Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan suffered a humiliating 3-0 Test series whitewash at the hands of England, a campaign defined as much by turmoil off the pitch as it was by struggles on it. Ahead of the third and final Test in Edgbaston, visitors saw their seven players and coaching staff dismissed in an unexpected mid-series purge, leaving the team hotel in disarray.
For the Edgbaston Test, Pakistan made four changes to their playing XI from the Lord’s Test defeat, and Babar Azam stepped out for a face to face a barrage of questions about the changes, sparking debate across the cricketing world over the board’s heavy-handed interference.
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Akram Shows No Mercy to Babar Azam
Wasim Akram, who has often been known for his reputation for speaking his mind without a filter, didn’t hold back while dissecting the team’s disastrous outing on foreign soil.
Speaking at a charity event in Manchester, Akram questioned Babar’s inability to keep a pulse on his own team’s operations, pointing out that total abdication of awareness is unacceptable for an international captain.
“Babar Azam said he did not know. If you don’t know, then what were you doing here? Were you here to sell chickpeas?” Akram said.
“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,” he added.
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At the toss, Babar Azam was asked about the challenge of leading Pakistan amid the major changes, with seven players sent home and the coaching staff reshuffled. He said the developments were news to him as well and directed questions towards the PCB.
After back-to-back defeats at Headingley and Lord’s, Pakistan was under scrutiny not only because of their dismal performance but also for the mounting pressure from fans and experts alike who demanded complete transparency over the abrupt administrative decisions.
‘Babar Azam Should’ve Taken the Captaincy’
Further speaking on the team’s leadership vacuum, Akram asserted that Babar should have stepped down from the role entirely after the second Test defeat.
“I do not want to blame anyone, and I could be wrong as well,” Akram said.
“But in my opinion, Babar should not have taken the captaincy. All of this was unnecessary. My suggestion is that after the second Test, Babar should have said that he would play only as a player,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), under Mohsin Naqvi’s chairmanship, faced growing criticism over its team’s decision-making as it struggled to cope with the fallout from the abrupt changes.
Pakistan men’s team’s international assignment is the ongoing Asian Games 2026, where they will begin their campaign in the quarter-finals on September 28.
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