'Problems arise when you seek advice from outsiders': Shahid Afridi on Babar Azam's captaincy

Pakistan’s performance in Test cricket has come under the scanner since the side suffered their third consecutive Test defeat on home soil, for the first time in 63 years. They have already lost the three-match series against England with the second loss in a row

In the second Test, the Babar Azam-led side fell 26 runs short of the 355-run target in the fourth innings following a batting disaster. Among several controversies, skipper Azam’s leadership ability, especially in Tests has become the talk of the town. Referring to the topic, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi slammed the opener for not taking suggestions from senior members of the squad.

Prior to Pakistan’s defeat in the second Test, Afridi revealed his thoughts about the unit’s disappointing results in recent times while featuring in a discussion on Samaa TV. According to him, Azam is relying more on advice from outsiders rather than listening to the veteran cricketers. Thus, he went on to make some blunders in the planning procedure and also in taking crucial in-match calls.

Reminiscing his tenure as the Pakistan skipper, Afridi explained, “As a captain, I always believed that being a good leader requires bringing all the players together. It implies that you should talk to seniors about your ideas. Problems arise when you start seeking advice from outsiders while excluding senior folks.”

However, Afridi showed his trust in Azam’s batting capability. Though the right-handed batter could not live up to the expectations during the fourth-innings chase, the former cricketer refused to doubt him. Fans at the Multan Cricket Stadium went outrageous after Azam departed early scoring just 1 run at an important moment. After his dismissal, the crowd was heard chanting “ZimBabar” in the stands.

The gesture from the home supporters did not go down well with Afridi. He noted, “If we don’t respect our players, the rest of the world won’t either.”

The 45-year-old strongly criticised the fans for putting all the blame on the captain as each of the players should equally bear the responsibility for the loss.

“Babar Azam is the backbone of the team. In the series, he has not performed too badly. He doesn’t play squash or table tennis to win a match for his team alone. If the team doesn’t perform, we can’t expect enough from any one person. He is the captain and is responsible for many things. He is our hero and will always be,” Afridi added further.

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