Babar Azam faces criticism from Dinesh Karthik after defeat against USA

In the aftermath of Pakistan's recent defeat, captain Babar Azam's candid assessment of the team's performance has sparked controversy, drawing sharp criticism from former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik.

Azam attributed the loss to the early fall of wickets and a lackluster batting display, a statement that didn't sit well with Karthik. In an interview with a local news channel, Karthik expressed his disappointment, emphasizing the importance of a captain backing their players publicly.

“As a leader, you need to find a way to be diplomatic in press conferences, somehow find a way to back your players. Inside the four walls of the dressing room, you can say what you want and have a go at a few people, but you need to find a way to back your players. It's one thing to be honest, another thing to try to understand the team dynamics,” Karthik said.

Karthik, acknowledging Azam's recent appointment as captain, stressed the vulnerability of players during such transitions. 

He advised the right-hand batter to adopt a more supportive tone, acknowledging the team's shortcomings while expressing confidence in their abilities to bounce back.

“He's newly appointed a captain. A lot of players are vulnerable right now, and he needs to back them. He needs to say, 'yes, it was a bad day. We probably could've done certain things better, but we will make sure once we get on a roll, we have special players'. That's the kind of language. To state that we didn't play well in the first six overs, we lost too many wickets... it's stating the obvious,” he said.

Karthik's critique raises important questions about leadership in cricket, highlighting the delicate balance between honesty and motivation in addressing team performances. 

"I fear Pakistan players reading it, which they will be, will feel he's ‘letting us down.’ The way he's conducted himself at the field, having a go after the boundaries or his shoulders dropping, isn't a sign of a good leader," he said.

“He needs to find a way to find body language to suggest he's fine with whatever's happening, and they can come around. Yes, showing disappointment is fine, but there's a way to show it where the players don't get even more nervous than they already are,” he concluded.