Following the ODI World Cup last year, Babar Azam resigned as captain, but Mohsin Naqvi, the new PCB president, reappointed him.
Following Pakistan’s elimination from the 2017 Twenty20 World Cup, rumours on social media have surfaced indicating that the selection committee is debating the future of eight or nine players, including skipper Babar Azam, who has been the target of scrutiny from former teammates. In addition to condemning Babar for his form, former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram, Salman Butt, and Shahid Afridi have questioned Babar’s role as the team’s leader. Following the ODI World Cup last year, Babar resigned as captain, but Mohsin Naqvi, the new PCB president, reinstated him. Shahid Afridi responded to the reports that Babar was being benched from the team by expressing his opinions. The renowned all-rounder asserted that Pakistan cannot afford to bench Babar because they lack a suitable substitute.
“I noticed on social media that they intend to bench eight or nine players. I’m not sure what the truth is, but this is not possible. When the next group is prepared to take over, you can drop 8 or 9 players. Do you have someone to replace Babar if you decide to bench him—as a player, that is? Exist any performers similar to Babar? Does Rizwan have a substitute on our bench? You make such harsh decisions when there are new people prepared to take the lead. It would be equivalent to blaming the players for the World Cup after the fact that you had to start over months before the next World Cup and were still experimenting with the team. “This is wrong,” Afridi declared in a video that was posted on his YouTube page.
In addition, Afridi pleaded with PCB to give priority to choosing players who are active on the domestic circuit rather than selecting individuals at random based just on a few strong hits.
“If we continue to select players based on 2-3 innings and ignore stars of domestic cricket, it’s harsh on those who perform in the domestic circuit for years,” he stated. Following the cancellation of the USA’s match against Ireland due to rain in Florida, Pakistan was eliminated from the T20 World Cup. At the same location on Sunday, Babar and company will play their final group-round match against Ireland.
