Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal criticized the support that Babar Azam is still getting despite Pakistan failing to qualify for the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals under his captaincy.
He claimed had a few former captains gotten the same backing Babar is getting, they would’ve won the World Cup.
Pakistan's inconsistent and below-par performance resulted to their defeat in the ICC World Cup 2023. Pakistan barely posed a danger despite assembling a formidable unit and many expecting them as semifinal candidates. The squad won four of its nine league games and ended fifth on the ten-team points standings.
The poor campaign drew harsh condemnation from fans and analysts alike, with many specifically criticizing captain Babar Azam. Many have questioned Babar's status as captain, leading to talk about a probable captaincy upheaval.
However, there are many former Pakistani cricketers speaking in support of Babar Azam and saying that the Pakistan skipper shouldn’t be so harshly criticized.
In response, Kamran Akmal, launched a scathing attack on Babar Azam and his captaincy. When comparing Babar's talent to that of a few others who served Pakistan in comparable roles not long ago, Akmal stated that if the supporters had shown equal support to them, Pakistan would have won a World Cup or a major ICC event.
“The amount of support Babar and this team got from fans in the last three years, had they shown the same support to Younis (Khan), Shahid (Afridi), Misbah (Misbah ul Haq), these guys would have won you a World Cup,” said Kamran Akmal at an event in Karachi.
Also in attendance were other former Pakistani players like Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik to name a few.
Akmal is one of those who believes Babar should renounce his captaincy and has called for distinct captains for different formats.
“He has to make up his mind. What the Pakistan Cricket Board decides is something different. But he has to realise that captaining the team and being the main batsman is not everyone's cup of tea. I think we need to have separate captains for red and white-ball formats," he added.
