Pakistan legend Javed Miandad strongly criticized the decision to oust Babar Azam from captaincy. He believes that individuals who lack a profound understanding of the game influenced the decision to remove the 29-year-old from captaincy.
Babar Azam faced heightened scrutiny following Pakistan’s disappointing 2023 World Cup performance, where the team fell short of reaching the semi-finals for the third consecutive time. Subsequently, Babar voluntarily stepped down as captain. In Tests, opening batter Shan Masood replaced him, while Shaheen Shah Afridi assumed leadership in T20Is. However, with no imminent ODIs on the horizon, Babar’s successor for this format remains undisclosed.
Addressing the local media in Karachi, Miandad conveyed his belief that, even if a change in captaincy was necessary, Sarfaraz Ahmed should have been the rightful replacement.
“Someone who doesn’t know cricket took away Babar Azam’s captain role. Coaches and players should have a big age difference for respect. If there’s no gap, players won’t respect the coach. Sarfaraz Ahmed should play against Australia and be the captain because of his experience,” he said.
Despite the captaincy change, Babar Azam’s performance with the bat in the World Cup was commendable. Entering the tournament as the No. 1 ranked batter, Babar scored 320 runs in nine innings, including four fifties.
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