From 'Bobsy the King' to 'King of Pakistan'- Hasan Ali stoops to a new low despite Babar Azam's shambolic failures

Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has come in support of white-ball skipper Babar Azam amidst criticism over the Men in Green's performances in recent times. Hasan Ali stated that Babar Azam hasn't had a poor performance in recent ICC tournaments, except for the ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

Babar Azam has faced criticism following Pakistan's disappointing group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup 2024. The Pakistan team suffered a surprising loss to the USA and then lost to India. They failed to advance to the Super Eight stage, despite winning their last two matches in the ICC event.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the need for "major surgery" in the cricket setup. Former players Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were removed from the seven-member selection committee for the men's team. Babar Azam's future as Pakistan's white-ball captain remains uncertain.

Babar Azam Is The King Of Pakistan's Batting Lineup - Hasan Ali

Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Hasan Ali called Babar Azam the "king" of the batting lineup and added that he has shown improvement. He emphasized that Babar has consistently delivered strong performances, except in the ODI World Cup 2023, where he didn't score a century.

"He is the king of Pakistan's batting lineup, and he should improve. I should improve; everyone should improve. And you can see that he has also improved. It's not like he hasn't done it. Wherever he has performed in batting, I don't think he has given a bad performance anywhere, except in India in the recent World Cup, where he didn't score a century," Hasan said.

Babar played in India for the first time during the ODI World Cup 2023. He was Pakistan's third-highest run-scorer, making 320 runs in nine matches at an average of 40, including four half-centuries. He was unable to guide the team to the semi-final stage as they suffered a group-stage exit in the 50-over event.

I Don't Regret It - Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali stated that he wanted to play in the recent T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. He mentioned that he doesn't regret the situation, emphasizing his desire to play only when he can perform well. He added that the team management had selected him only as a replacement for Haris Rauf.

"I don't regret it. Obviously, I wanted to play, and I wanted to perform and play. I don't want to play without performance, and it's neither in my nature nor do I want to play that kind of cricket, and I never have. So I don't regret it because the management had already told me that I was Haris Rauf's replacement only for the Ireland and England tours. So when Haris gets fit, you will automatically be out."

The Pakistan Cricket Board formed a new selection committee that includes former cricketers Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, along with the captain and the head coach. Pakistan will host a two-match Test series against Bangladesh in August. The series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Also read: "Hopefully PCB administrators will..." - Mohammad Hafeez's stunning reaction to Mohsin Naqvi's meeting with former cricketers