Babar Azam’s cousin ACCUSES him of intentionally not letting…
New Delhi: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam is under scrutiny for his leadership skills ...
New Delhi: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam is under scrutiny for his leadership skills as criticism arises over the lack of depth in the national team squad that was developed during his five-year tenure. Dismissed Test batter Umar Akmal, who has been out of the national squad since 2019, openly blamed Babar for not nurturing a strong bench and holding him accountable for the team's shortcomings.
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“Babar led the team for almost five years, across most formats, yet he never focused on strengthening the bench due to his personal preferences,” Umar remarked during a TV interview.
Akmal also revealed that when he was in good form and scoring runs in domestic cricket, he approached Babar for a chance to make a comeback.
“I told Babar, look, give me a fair chance. You are performing well in the top order, and I can be your finisher. Together, we can win matches regularly, which will benefit Pakistan cricket,” he said. However, Umar mentioned that his request was ignored.
“He didn’t pay attention to me, and throughout his five-year captaincy, he never made an effort to build a strong bench. Only teams with good backup players perform consistently well across all formats,” he added.
Umar, who is Babar’s cousin, played 16 Tests, 121 ODIs, and 84 T20Is for Pakistan before being dropped from the national team in 2019. Akmal is not the only one to accuse Babar of selfishness. Former Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria has also criticized Babar Azam for prioritizing personal milestones.
“If we talk about Babar Azam, he plays for himself. When under pressure, he focuses on maintaining his stats and ICC ranking,” Kaneria told PTI Video.
“I have scored a fifty, I have done it. But where is the intent to win the match for your team?” Kaneria questioned.