Babar Azam has come under the scanner after Pakistan's early exit from T20 World Cup 2024.
The Men in Green paid the price for a Super Over defeat against USA in their campaign opener, followed by a nervy six-run defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India.
The sorry exit led to a scathing criticism of the 2009 champions, especially skipper Babar Azam as he failed to inspire the team in another ICC tournament.
Pakistan cricket team’s dismal campaign also became a topic of discussion in the national parliament. Abdul Qadir Patel of Pakistan National Assembly roasted Babar over the team's lacklustre showing in the showpiece event.
Referring to former Pakistan skipper and Prime Minister Imran Khan's 2022 move of waving a document at a rally, days before his ouster, Abdul Qadir advised Babar to do the same.
"Ye cricket team ko kya hua hai. Yeh America se bhi haar gaye. Yeh India se bhi haar gaye toh Babar Azam ko apne hi kisi senior cricketer se sabak lete hue haarne ke baad ek jalsa rakhe, woh usme kagaz lehraye bole dekho yeh mere khilaf saazish ho rahi hai, koi usse kuch nahi puchega. Uske baad jo hai woh baat hi khatam ho jayegi,” Abdul Qadir said, which translates to “(What's wrong with our cricket team? They lost to America, they lost to India. Babar Azam should take a lesson from one of his senior cricketers [Hinting at Imran Khan] and throw a party after losing where he should wave some documents in public stating, 'There's been a conspiracy against me.' No one will question him after that, and the matter will be over.)”.
Amid the debacle, Pakistan head coach Gary Kirsten recently blasted the team saying that there is 'no unity' in the side and he has 'never seen such a situation' in his long coaching career.
“There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team. They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I’ve worked with many teams, but I’ve never seen such a situation,” Kirsten was quoted as saying by Geo News.