File photo of Babar Azam© AFP
Pakistan’s one-run loss against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup Super 12 stage has opened a pandora’s box and former cricketers are bashing the side left, right and centre. The Babar Azam-led side were unable to chase 130 against Zimbabwe and hence it is very difficult for Pakistan to qualify for the semi-finals. The side needs other results to go their way in order to cement their place in the last-four stage of the tournament.
Pakistan’s middle-order has been criticised for more than one year now and there have been calls for either Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan to bat in the middle-order and leaving their opener slot. Former captain Wasim Akram has now revealed that he once asked Babar to leave his opening slot while playing for Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings.
“I have been through this by the way with Babar, at Karachi Kings. In the team we had a couple of bad seasons and I requested him once or twice nicely, that please come down at number 3, we’ll try something different,” Wasim Akram said on A Sports show – The Pavillion.
“Let Martin Guptill bat at the top, seeing he is an opener. And he (Babar) said I would not go down, you ask Sharjeel to bat at 3, and he (Sharjeel) is a natural opener too. And these little things that the captain does, the team senses too,” he added.
Further talking about opening the batting, Akram said: “All of these things begin at the top. And at the top is your captain. If your captain plays for himself and is insecure. If your captain scores runs and lets other batters play at his position, you get to know that your captain is ready to sacrifice himself for you, this Babar has to learn.”
Promoted
Pakistan will next square off against the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup on Sunday at Optus Stadium, Perth.
The Babar Azam-led side has faced defeats against India and Zimbabwe in the ongoing tournament and are yet to win their first game.
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