Akhtar backs Haris, Babar as captain

Pakistan’s former fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar believes that middle-order batsman Haris Sohail should be given the reigns of the Pakistan cricket team as captain. The pacer also suggested making prolific batsman Babar Azam the captain of the Test side.

In a youtube video, Akhtar responded to a question about skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed by saying that he should only be used as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

“He should be used for his keeping and batting skills,” said Akhtar. “No way should he continue as captain of the Pakistan cricket team. He should not be the captain in any format.”

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When asked about Sarfaraz’s replacement, Akhtar pointed towards Sohail and Azam in order to take the team in a new direction.

“Haris Sohail should be made the captain. He should captain the side in ODIs and T20Is,” he said. “They should test him (Babar) in Test cricket. I wish him the best. He has scored a lot of runs.”

Akhtar has been critical of Sarfaraz in the past as well. He called out the captain’s fitness during the start of Pakistan’s 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup campaign.

The fast-bowler has been a proponent of massive changes in the team. He believes a change in leadership is the first step towards building a better team for the country.