Former Pakistan cricketer takes a dig at Babar Azam’s father for defending his son on social media

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has criticized Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, for his recent social media comments defending his son’s exclusion from Pakistan’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series. Basit Ali sarcastically questioned Siddique’s cricketing credentials and suggested that if he considers himself Babar’s coach, he should focus on addressing his son’s technical flaws.

Basit Ali appeared on a channel, where he mocked Siddique’s claims of coaching his son. 

"We didn’t know Babar Azam’s coach is his father [Azam Siddique]. That’s great! He must have played a lot of cricket, then. Not sure how many Test matches he played, but I request him to fix Babar’s technical flaws," Basit remarked sarcastically.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal also weighed in on the issue. Akmal acknowledged that every father has the right to support his son but advised against making public statements after a player’s exclusion from the team. 

"Every father loves his son. Some openly express it, while others leave it to fate. There’s no doubt about Babar’s contributions to Pakistan cricket, but he must evolve with modern-day demands. However, posting statements after a player is dropped is unnecessary," Akmal concluded.

The controversy started after Siddique posted a message on Instagram, defending his son against the criticism he faced after being dropped from the T20I squad. In his post, Siddique warned former cricketers to be careful with their words and reminded them that they are part of the past. He also made it clear that he is Babar’s first and only coach, spokesperson, mentor, and father.

“To the great former cricketers, I humbly request you to be mindful of your words. If someone chooses to respond, you might not be able to handle it. You are part of the past, and there is no way back for you,” Siddique wrote.

He also responded to those who have criticized him for speaking out, saying, “For those who say that ‘his father talks too much,’ let me make it clear—I was his first and only coach, spokesperson, mentor, and above all, his father.”

Siddique further advised cricket fans to check the records of Babar’s critics before taking their words seriously and encouraged them to visit the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) website to assess their performances.