Rashid Latif wants Babar and Rizwan to change batting approach or exit team

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Rashid Latif has shared his unfiltered thoughts on the current state of Pakistan cricket, particularly focusing on the urgent need for leadership and batting strategies of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. 

In a candid interview with a local sports platform, Latif didn't hold back in expressing his concerns and offering solutions.

He began by addressing the aftermath of the 2023 World Cup held in India, implying that the decisions regarding the captaincy that were made following the tournament were questionable.

The former captain's main contention lies with Babar Azam's return to captaincy, which he believes was a significant error.

"See, after that World Cup that happened in India, things shouldn't have gone like this. It's their own thinking that they removed Babar, and Shaheen came forward, but then again, Babar became weak as a captain. Because whoever comes to lead should lead with confidence and it's my opinion that Babar Azam's biggest mistake was to accept the captaincy again. If he continues as captain, that will be an even bigger mistake by him. Pakistan has found a great batsman after so many years who is dominating the world; he shouldn't get involved in this politics," Rashid said.

Latif then challenged Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to revamp their batting approach in T20Is, referencing the transformations of Indian cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as examples to follow.

"I would give examples of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to show how they changed themselves. Rohit has changed himself 190 degrees; change is possible because he has become a role model. His IPL strike rate used to be 130-140, but this year it went up to 160. He changed himself. Virat Kohli did the same thing. If these two batsmen can change, then anyone can. I would give Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan 5 matches to change their batting approach in T20Is, and if they won't, then there should be no place in the team for them," he concluded.

It is worth noting that the Men in Green had a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. They faced an upset defeat at the hands of co-hosts the USA, followed by a crucial loss against arch-rivals India. 

Despite winning their last two matches against Canada and Ireland, it wasn't enough to advance to the next round, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.