Ahmed Shehzad and Imam Ul Haq, Pakistan cricketers, got into a verbal altercation on live TV over Babar Azam’s captaincy as they discussed the state of Pakistan cricket under his leadership ahead of the team's T20 World Cup opener against hosts USA.

During a T20 World Cup build-up broadcast on Pakistan's Geo TV, Shehzad was asked if Babar Azam favors certain players when selecting national teams. In response, the right-handed batter didn't hold back.

Shehzad used strong language to attack Babar Azam and even chastised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for re-appointing him as white-ball captain soon before the T20 World Cup.

"Speaking of Babar Azam, there is friendship. Look, he is carrying players from a long run. The players are out of form for a long time. It doesn’t look good. If I count the number of matches, you’ll realize players don’t get that long run. If there were any other captain, he wouldn’t have carried players for 35-40 games. He should have thought about himself.

We don’t play cricket to win bilateral series but to win ICC events. Did we win any event in the last 4-5 years? If we didn’t win, I would say there are gangs, friendships, and tola with an agent who has been manipulating cricket for the last 4-5 years," Shehzad said on Geo TV.

When Shehzad was informed that the players in Pakistan's squad had made their debuts under Sarfaraz Ahmed's captaincy, the offensive opener stated that Ahmed won the Champions Trophy in 2017, defeating India in the final. So he has that leeway, but Babar has yet to win an ICC tournament.

"They [Sarfaraz Ahmed and Co.] produced the results and won the Champions Trophy. It justifies, you also win this event and justify. However, you’ve got a longer run, one captain doesn’t get five events. You were removed and then brought back. I understand if you were MS Dhohi that you were brought back. But no. It’s wrong with Shaheen, you made him captain for two matches and then you removed him,” he added.

Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan's captain after the 2023 World Cup. But after Pakistan’s 1-4 T20I series loss in New Zealand under Shaheen Afridi, the PCB reinstated Babar Azam as the white-ball captain.

Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq and former batter Imran Nazir were also part of the show. Imam was asked to comment on PCB's decision to return to Babar before the T20 World Cup.

The left-hander said: "Babar was removed without his consent and reinstated without his consent as well. The board re-appointed him as captain. In 2021, we reached the semifinals. Later in 2022, we played the final, which means there were performances. We didn’t win, that can be a debate. We didn’t click in the final. You can say Babar likes these lot of players but terming it as friendship is quite personal."

That is where the war of words began between Imam and Shehzad.

Ahmed Shehzad: "We understand that Imam is in a central contract, he is young. We spoke the same when we were his age. I’m 34, sick and tired of things. We want things to be better. When you drag players for 4-5 years, you do wrong with those performing in domestic. Someone else takes their rights.”

Imam-ul-Haq: "I am in a central contract. I have been playing for the last 6-7 years but I promise you that when I’ll be 36, my stand will be the same. If someone has a problem, they can speak if they are 28 as well. Why don’t you say that?"