Shahid Afridi expresses disappointment over Babar Azam’s captaincy

Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi has lashed out at the Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for his captaincy tactics after their 26-run loss in the second Test match against England in Multan. The defeat against England means that Pakistan has lost the three-match series by 0-2 with a Test to play.

Following the series’ defeat, social media is filled with criticism. A gutted Shahid Afridi also came forward and wondered why is Babar taking advice from the outsiders instead of involving the senior members of the squad in the planning and strategizing processes.

Shahid Afridi On Babar Azam’s Captaincy:

“As a captain, I always felt one had to be a good leader and that was possible by uniting all the players. It means that you should discuss your plans with seniors. When you start taking advice from outsiders and not involve seniors, issues come (up),” Afridi said during a discussion on Samaa TV.

Afridi, however, did go on to mention that if a player is not valued by their own people, then they will not be valued by the world and urged the fans not to be too harsh at their captain. Babar was booed back to the pavilion with ‘Zimbabar’ chants after his early dismissal in the second innings of the Multan Test.

“We have also witnessed such things in our time. If we don’t value our players, the world will also not value them. No doubt, Babar Azam is the backbone of this team. His performance is not too bad in the series. He doesn’t play table tennis or squash to triumph over his team on his own”, he said. “We can’t expect enough from an individual unless the XI performs. He is the captain with a lot of responsibilities. He is our hero and he’ll stay a hero.”

Pakistan has now lost two consecutive Test series at home this year. The first defeat came against Australia in March where they went down 0-1 in the three-match series. While the current series defeat has also ended Pakistan’s WTC final qualification hopes. They would now look forward to salvaging pride in the third Test IN Karachi on December 17.