Rashid Latif highlights problems stemming from Shaheen's captaincy removal

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif remarked that the decision to remove Shaheen Afridi from the T20I captaincy has caused issues within the team, following Ireland's victory over Pakistan in the first T20I on Friday.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Latif highlighted the persistent bowling struggles since the New Zealand tour and criticized the removal of Shaheen as captain, suggesting it as a factor in the team's difficulties.

"The bowling has been letting Pakistan down since the tour of New Zealand. Since removing Shaheen from the captaincy, problems could be seen," Latif said.

Latif further emphasized Babar's perceived weaknesses upon resuming the captaincy, expressing concerns about external influences on team decisions.

"Shaheen was removed wrongly from the captaincy and when Babar was reappointed, he showed his weakness. Whoever has handed him the captaincy will definitely use him. The team would be from outside, players will be selected by somebody else and every other decision would be taken by someone else, nothing will change in Pakistan here," he further added.

It is worth noting that Babar attributed the first T20I loss to poor bowling and fielding. Despite a competitive total of 182 runs, Babar acknowledged shortcomings in execution and fielding lapses that contributed to the defeat.

Ireland defeated Pakistan by five wickets, with notable performances from Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector. The remaining matches in the series are scheduled for May 12th and May 14th.