Pakistan’s T20 World Cup Failure: Ahmed Shehzad Criticizes Leadership, Calls for PCB to Remove Top Players Including Babar Azam

June 15, 2024 0 720

Ahmed Shehzad criticized the Pakistan cricket team and urged the PCB to sack key players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and others for failing to deliver and causing internal politics.

The Pakistan cricket fraternity continues to criticize Babar Azam and his team following their elimination from the 2024 T20 World Cup. Consecutive losses to the USA and India, combined with a washout between Ireland and the USA, sealed Pakistan’s fate. India’s win over the USA secured their spot in the Super 8, while the co-hosts advanced with 5 points.

Pakistan’s early exit has sparked anger, particularly from former cricketer Ahmed Shehzad, who has been vocal about Babar Azam’s leadership. Shehzad has now called for the removal of key players, including Babar, Mohammed Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, and Haris Rauf, citing their repeated failures over the past five years. He accused them of prioritizing personal achievements over the team’s success and highlighted internal divisions and a lack of leadership.

“For the past five years, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammed Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf, they have played together and this lot has got enough opportunities but they have failed to deliver,” Shehzad said on Geo News.

“There is no leadership in this team. You’re (Babar Azam) just a social media-generated king. You’ve had four to five years… You guys play politics; you guys don’t have the required fitness level. You have played your peak cricket and now your cricket is declining. You have not let anyone else come into the team. Till now you have maintained friendships only,” he added.

Shehzad also criticized Rizwan and Babar for their slow scoring rates in crucial matches, particularly against Canada, where they failed to accelerate the run rate on a favorable pitch.

“The kind of groupings that are happening in the team… there is a lack of leadership. They keep saying they’re learning from their mistakes. Aap kya seekh rahe hain? Against Canada, when you needed to up your run rate, Rizwan scored the slowest fifty, and Babar scored run-a-ball. There were no demons on that pitch,” he continued.

“The problem is that (players chasing) personal milestones have ruined Pakistan cricket. That’s why we’re in this situation right now. They haven’t learnt anything,” Shehzad added.

The former cricketer further called for the immediate dismissal of 7-8 players from the national team, accusing them of prioritizing personal friendships over national interest.

“Now people will come and scare the PCB chief that if he will remove 7-8 cricketers, then the team will lose its aura. But these are the guys, who are putting friendships over the country and if you remove only two or three from this lot then it would be an injustice for them. Remove all of them,” he concluded.