"He was stubborn", Former Pakistan cricketer reacts after Babar Azam's resignation as white-ball captain

Bakht remarked that Babar was stubborn and carried an ego, believing himself to be the "king"

PHOTO: AFP

Former Pakistan cricketer Sikander Bakht has criticized Babar Azam for delaying his resignation as white-ball captain, suggesting that he should have stepped down right after the T20 World Cup 2024. Bakht remarked that Babar was stubborn and carried an ego, believing himself to be the "king."

Speaking on a news channel, Bakht remarked, "After three months, I think he should have done it at the same time. As soon as the World Cup was over, our World Cup was over on 16th June. Because we had not qualified further. He should have resigned at the same time. The whole nation was saying that he should have resigned. But he was stubborn."

The 67-year-old sarcastically referred to Babar's leadership style, suggesting that the 29-year-old viewed himself as invincible, despite Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in the World Cup.

"Because his style was like this, he was king (In a sarcastic way). His performance was not good, neither was theirs. Anyway, they should have seen that we are removed in two ways. I don't know what happened to him," he said.

In a bold assertion, Bakht hinted at internal conflicts within the Pakistan team, mentioning the presence of factions vying for leadership. He revealed, "He was told to resign. Look, we have three captains in our base. There are groups of three captains. One is Babar, another is Rizwan. They want to become captains. Shaheen want to become captain again. And there is also Shan Masood. Shan Masood lost five or six matches."

After the resignation of star batter from the captaincy of the Pakistan white-ball team, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has emerged as a leading candidate for the ODI leadership role. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly considering Mohammad Haris for the T20I captaincy.

While Babar Azam has stepped down from white-ball captaincy, he remains a vital figure in Pakistan's Test lineup. His next challenge lies ahead as he prepares to serve the team in a three-match Test series against England, starting on October 7th.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mehmood.

Pakistan, England Test series schedule: