T20 World Cup: Babar Azam should quit as Pakistan captain if he keeps repeating the same mistakes, says Saleem Malik

Pakistan fought hard in their opening match of the T20 World Cup in Melbourne and were in the driver’s seat for a majority of India’s run chase before Virat Kohli’s brilliant 82 not out took the game away from them.

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While many a Pakistan fan and ex-cricketer showed their support towards the Men in Green and lauded them for putting up a brave fight despite starting off shakily, former captain Salim Malik wasn’t too pleased with the way the match slipped out of the team’s grasp and lashed out at skipper Babar Azam.

“A senior player has a big role to play in a situation like this. If the captain isn’t able to think properly and is coming up with the wrong decisions, then the senior player can go and advise him. That’s why I always insist a fast bowler should always have a senior player around him for guidance.

“If you haven’t learned the art of captaincy even after so many years, you should just quit. If you keep repeating the same mistakes, then it’s best you leave the role. Several players have quit captaincy over the years,” Malik said in a panel discussion on 24 News.

Babar, who had been appointed as the captain across all formats by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in November 2020, has also attracted criticism for his mixed run with the bat, having been dismissed for a golden duck by Arshdeep Singh in the high-voltage encounter at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Arshdeep had also dismissed in-form wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan in his very next over as Pakistan were reduced to 15/2 in the powerplay, before fifties from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed helped the Men in Green post a competitive 159/8, a total that they would’ve successfully defended had it not been for Kohli’s extraordinary knock combined with Hardik Pandya’s supporting act.

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