Babar Azam's position in Pakistan Test team under threat as Shan Masood told to drop underperformers

Former Pakistan batter and coach Basit Ali has stirred the cricketing world with his bold remarks on Babar Azam's recent performance with the bat and captaincy, as they are gearing up for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home.

Basit noted that Babar’s last century came against Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023, so the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh is a significant opportunity for the white-ball captain to reaffirm his status as one of the best and make a strong comeback in the ICC Test Rankings.

Basit Ali calls for Babar Azam to focus solely on batting

The former Pakistani coach Basit Ali has suggested that Babar should step down from his white-ball captaincy role to focus solely on his batting, emphasizing that as Pakistan's premier batter, his primary goal should be to excel with the bat across the three formats of the game.

Basit Ali said on his YouTube channel: “Babar Azam has made the last century against Nepal in the Asia Cup. It is a great chance for him to prove himself. To come back in the Test Rankings. And he is not the captain. It is a very good thing. And he should quit the white-ball captaincy as well. He should focus on his batting. He is a premium batsman of Pakistan. So, he should perform well.”

Furthermore, Basit Ali criticized the recent trend of overpromising in Pakistani cricket. He pointed out that there has been much talk about winning major tournaments like the World Cup and Asia Cup, but the actual performance has been overwhelming and embarrassing.

Basit Ali urges Shan Masood to lead Pakistan with bravery

With Shan Masood stepping in as the Test captain, Basit Ali urged the Pakistan skipper to make crucial and courageous decisions for the betterment of Pakistani cricket. He stressed that leadership should not be swayed by favoritism but should be based on what truly benefits the national team, calling for a shift towards a more fearless and effective approach to the game.

The former coach added: “In the last 2-3 years, we have played a lot of talkative cricket. We will win the World Cup. We will win the Asia Cup. We will play in the finals in India. It was all talkative cricket. Now it is time to deliver. Shan Masood becomes the Test captain again after the Australia series, so he will now have to make his own decisions.”

Basit Ali signed off by saying, “He should not think like that if he is a premium batter or a premium bowler, then I will give him a soft corner. No. He must take decisions that are good for Pakistan. Not out of fear. Out of bravery. Then the cricket will look good, and they will perform better.”