Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali recommended that Babar Azam should step down as Pakistan’s captain, following Virat Kohli’s example, to enable him to play with more freedom.
Following Pakistan’s third consecutive loss in the ODI World Cup 2023, former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali has recommended that Babar Azam relinquish the captaincy to play more freely. The Men in Green’s eight-wicket defeat to Afghanistan in Chennai marked a significant departure from their previous ODI track record against Afghanistan. While Pakistan had initially secured two consecutive wins in the World Cup, their fortunes changed after a loss to India, followed by subsequent defeats to Australia and Afghanistan.
Babar Azam himself scored 74 runs in the match against Afghanistan, but the team’s bowlers struggled to make an impact. The bowlers proved ineffective as Hashmatullah Shahidi’s side comfortably chased down the target of 283. The once formidable Pakistani bowling attack has faltered since Naseem Shah’s injury during the 2023 Asia Cup. Although Shaheen Shah Afridi has continued to perform well, he has lacked support from the likes of Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan.
Ali cited Virat Kohli’s decision to step down as captain as an example, suggesting that this change could enhance Babar Azam’s individual batting performance.
“I told one year ago on my channel, that Babar Azam is a very good batter. He should quit captaincy, just like Virat Kohli did. Virat stepped down and look at his performances. His performance will become better, for sure. But, as we all know, certain people on social media twisted my words, saying I don’t like Babar Azam and I am a traitor,” said Ali when talking on ARI News.
Virat Kohli had made headlines when he stepped down as the T20I captain and later resigned from the Test captaincy, resulting in an impressive resurgence in his batting form. Rohit Sharma’s appointment as captain in all formats has coincided with Kohli’s purple patch, marked by numerous centuries. Kohli currently tops the ODI World Cup scoring charts with 354 runs from five matches.
Last Updated on October 24, 2023
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