Pakistan endured a dismal World Cup 2023 campaign as they failed to qualify for the semi-final after losing five out of their nine league matches.

After this dismal show, Pakistani cricketers are receiving flak from all quarters. In particular, skipper Babar Azam is facing the wrath of the fans, former players and cricket experts alike.

On Monday (November 13), former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi also came down heavily on Babar, saying that the latter could not improve as captain in four years.

“I’m a fan of Babar. Babar is a big player, for me he is like a younger brother. I wanted that Babar join the list of top captains in the world. He’s been captain since four years or so, there was never a sword hanging over his head. We all supported him during this phase. We thought in three-four years he would be well groomed to handle the responsibility as a captain. He would mould himself as a captain. But this didn’t happen. He could not improve in this period and could not prove himself as a good leader. We have seen plenty of errors during the World Cup,” said Afridi during an event in Karachi.

“A leader’s role is to take everyone along. He cannot have just one or two players who are doing well, he needs to have eight or nine players who are playing good cricket and whom he can consult on decisions,” he added.

When asked about the way forward for Pakistan cricket, Shahid Afridi opined that Babar Azam should remain the captain of the Test team.

“When it comes to the Test team I don’t think there needs to be a change in captaincy. Babar should lead in Tests. (In other formats) The PCB has time on their hands (to make any decision). They should invite senior players to discuss the way ahead,” Afridi stated.

“We have time to take decisions. I think players are responsible for this debacle. There is a lot of talent in the team that had gone to India for the World Cup. Everything, including the conditions, were suitable for the team. But players couldn’t perform,” he further remarked.

Pakistan’s next assignment is the tour of Australia, where they will play three Tests from December 14 to January 7.