"Expected Babar Azam To Be Top-2 Batter But...": Pakistan Great's Blunt World Cup Admission

12.11.2023 - 13:39 sports.ndtv.com

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam remains one of the finest batters in the world but his Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign has been far from satisfactory.

Babar's poor run of form with the bat has been one of the biggest talking points in the World Cup that saw the Pakistan team put a horror show on the field.

Though it is likely that Babar would go on to lose his status as the captain of the team in the coming days, Pakistan legend Wasim Akram doesn't feel Babar should be made scapegoat of the team's World Cup failure.

Misbah-ul-Haq, on the other hand, admitted that Babar was expected to be among the top-2 batters in the World Cup but that didn't happen.

cricket Pakistan Cricket Team World Cup 2023 cup Babar Azam Asia Cup Wasim Akram Pakistan

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has criticised the Pakistan cricket team over Babar Azam stepping down as the captain of the side following the Asian team's Cricket World Cup 2023 debacle. Babar stepped down from his role in mid November. Pakistan lost five out of their nine matches at the mega event and failed to qualify for the semifinals. Babar came under a lot of pressure from both experts and fans regarding his captaincy and his lack of form with the bat did not help the matter. Shan Masood was appointed Test captain while Shaheen Afridi took over as the T20I captain.

"He Could Not Improve...": Shahid Afridi Slams Babar Azam's Captaincy After Pakistan's Elimination From Cricket World Cup 2023

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has lashed out at Babar Azam's capataincy after the national cricket team's poor show at Cricket World Cup 2023. Pakistan lost five of their nine matches played in the league stage of the tournament and failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Their defeats also included one at the hands of Afghanistan. The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side outplayed Babar Azam and company by eight wickets. Criticising Babar, Afridi said that the player has not improved as captain in the past few years.

Babar Azam Steps Down From Pakistan Cricket Team Captaincy After Cricket World Cup 2023 Debacle

Babar Azam has stepped down as Pakistan cricket team skipper following his team's disappointing run in the Cricket World Cup 2023. Pakistan lost five out of their nine matches and failed to qualify for the semifinals. Babar himself did not have a great outing in the tournament with 320 runs from 9 matches. The cricketer came under a lot of pressure from both experts and fans regarding his captaincy and his lack of form with the bat did not help matters. Currently, Shadab Khan was the vice-captain of Pakistan's World Cup team with Shaheen Afridi among the probable names to take over as the next skipper.

"Who Put Them In Charge?": Ramiz Raja Slams PCB, Defends Babar Azam Over Poor Run In Cricket World Cup 2023

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja slammed the bowlers and the country's cricket board following the team's poor performance in ODI World Cup 2023. The Babar Azam-led side failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament after finishing at the fifth spot in the points table at the end of the league stage. Pakistan lost five of their nine matches that included a disappointing eight-wicket loss at the hands of Afghanistan. Ramiz didn't mince words while slamming the bowlers and the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Cricket World Cup - "Not Needed": Shahid Afridi, Wasim Akram's Sharp Response On Babar Azam's 'Easy To Give Opinion' Comment

The Pakistan cricket team's Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign never really took off. With only four wins in nine matches, the Babar Azam-led Pakistan side finished their Cricket World on a disappointing note. Nothing really worked for the Pakistan cricket team. On top of that there were reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board was not really happy with Babar Azam's captaincy. The star batter was heavily criticised by former Pakistan cricket team players. Naturally, Babar was unhappy.

"Hit With Tomatoes, Rotten Eggs": Ex-Pakistan Star Recounts 1996 World Cup Experience, Says Babar Azam-led Side Lucky

Pakistan cricket is currently going through a tough phase. After a poor ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign, which saw the Babar Azam-led Pakistan cricket team finish fifth in the 10-team competition, it's time for assessment of the side. And, former Pakistan cricket team stars have not been too kind. From criticising the coaching staff to the Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, the side is under fire. However, according to former Pakistan cricket team pacer, Aquib Javed the treatment meted out to the current Pakistan cricket team is very mild compared to what happened to earlier teams.