Babar Azam wouldn't make Australia, India, or England T20I teams, says Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik has criticized Pakistan's T20I skipper Babar Azam, saying he wouldn't fit in any top international T20 team.

Pakistan exited the T20 World Cup in the first round after losing to the USA and India. They needed Ireland to beat the USA to stay in the tournament, but the match was rained out.

Malik acknowledged that Babar is Pakistan’s best player but said that he would not fit in any of the top international teams in T20I cricket.

"Who is our best player? Our best player is Babar Azam. I am just talking about the top four to five teams. Can Babar fit into the playing XI of those teams? Of Australia, India or England in just this particular format? The answer is no," Malik said while talking on a local sports show.

Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Parthiv Patel also recently slammed Pakistan captain Babar Azam, labeling him as a "selfish player" and characterizing the Pakistan team as "weak."

"This is the weakest Pakistan team," Patel remarked. "They don't match the T20 format. In an era where strike rates of 150-160 are crucial, their players are stuck at 120."

Patel also criticized Babar's decision to bat lower down the order, a move he found perplexing in the context of contemporary cricket where many captains opt to open the innings themselves.

"Around the world, captains want to open the innings, but Babar prefers to play lower. When your captain does this, nothing can be achieved," he added.