The veteran all-rounder further supported his stance by pointing to Babar Azam's record as captain
16 June, 2024
PHOTO: AFP
Former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik has stirred controversy with his recent remarks regarding current skipper Babar Azam's leadership role after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign.
In a candid interview on a local sports channel, Malik expressed his belief that if he were in Azam's position, he would have relinquished the captaincy following Pakistan's dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2024.
“I immediately would have resigned from the captaincy and directed all of my focus on my cricket. It happened to me once, and I was offered the role again in 2009-10, but I did not accept the offer. The reason was simple, I just wanted to focus on my cricket so if I were in his place, I would have resigned immediately,” Malik said.
The veteran all-rounder further supported his stance by pointing to Babar Azam's record as captain.
“I am not just saying this, my argument is backed by Babar’s numbers as captain, but I am willing to sideline the statistics. If he shows improvement and plays well for the country and team then he should definitely continue as captain. But there is no improvement,” he said.
In today's T20 World Cup clash, Ireland, after being put in to bat first, were restricted to 106 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the first innings. Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim each took three wickets, while Mohammad Amir dismissed two Irish batters.
In reply, Pakistan chased down the target, losing seven wickets in 18.5 overs. With this win, the Men in Green ended their T20 World Cup campaign with two wins and two losses.
