Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali dropped a bombshell, claiming that the bitter captaincy rift between Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi led to the national team’s downfall.
Following Pakistan's series-conceding 194-run defeat to England in the Lord's Test, Basit stated that the team's internal environment was ruined the exact day the leadership fall-out occurred.
He directly labelled Babar Azam as a weak captain who repeatedly makes poor tactical decisions, irrespective of the recent results in England.
“Babar Azam is not a strong captain. I am not speaking about this based on the performance in England. He has made many wrong decisions. The main reason for Pakistan cricket's downfall is the rift between Shaheen and Babar. When there was a falling-out between the two over the captaincy, Pakistan cricket was ruined that day,” Basit said on the ‘Game Plan’ show.
“Many statements were made, saying Shaheen is a very good bowler and Babar is a very good batter. The rift, whoever created that, the side effects can be seen now,” he added.
After the 2023 ODI World Cup debacle, Babar stepped down as captain Shaheen was handed the white-ball captaincy. However, the left-arm pacer was unceremoniously sacked following a single poor series in New Zealand.
Babar was reappointed as T20I captain, a move that critics say bruised egos and sparked grouping within the squad. Post the group-stage exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup, the leadership was split entirely across formats.
Currently, Babar leads the Test side, Shaheen captains the ODI squad, and Salman Ali Agha oversees T20Is.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has release seven players of the Test squad touring England after the team conceded an unassailable 2-0 lead. The names include Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
Seven new players have also been called up ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston, including five uncapped talents. The list features Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran, and Razaullah.
The PCB also took the unprecedented step of overhauling its coaching staff. Red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were relieved of their duties.
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have taken over the backroom responsibilities for the remainder of the England tour.
