Babar Azam has failed to inspire the Pakistan side in ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.
Pakistan has not had a very good time in the ongoing CWC 2023. After winning their first two matches in Hyderabad against Sri Lanka and Netherlands, Pakistan has lost four straight matches- to India in Ahmedabad, to Australia in Bengaluru, to Afghanistan in Chennai, and to South Africa, also in Chennai.
With these results, Pakistan is in 7th place in the World Cup 2023 points table with 4 points and a net run rate of -0.387.
Most of the blame for this performance has fallen on captain Babar Azam and his poor form with the bat. Babar has hit 3 fifties so far in World Cup 2023 but the big score has eluded him, especially when the team needed him to step up.
Babar Azam has been facing immense scrutiny, especially from the Pakistan media, over the team's disappointing results. The most hurting loss of them all was against Afghanistan, who resighted their first-ever ODI win against Men in Green.
Babar's captaincy was scrutinized as Afghanistan chased down 283 with 8 wickets in hand. If Pakistan fails to reach the semi-finals, local media speculated that Babar Azam would be fired as captain.
Zaka Ashraf of the Pakistan Cricket Board fueled the fire by meeting former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed on the sidelines of a domestic competition in Pakistan.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has lashed out at the Pakistan cricket fraternity, expressing his disappointment at the way Babar Azam has been criticized.
"I just don't like the lack of respect that Babar Azam. I just think it's a disgrace that these stories are being leaked. The stories that Shaheen is going to be the captain and all that. Babar is a wonderful player, he has been fantastic for Pakistan, and fantastic for the world game. This kind of story in the middle of the World Cup... leave it to the end.
If at the end of the World Cup, you think that he is not the right person to take Pakistan, I can understand, you are allowed to make that decision. But during the World Cup, the kind of gossip coming from your board and people within Pakistan cricket, I find that disrespectful," Michael Vaughan told Cricbuzz.
Pakistan's heartbreaking 1-wicket defeat to South Africa in Chennai dented their semi-final hopes but they were not out of the race to the top 4.