Table of Contents
Former England National Cricket Team captain Michael Atherton has questioned Babar Azam's authority as Pakistan captain following the Pakistan Cricket Board's dramatic mid-series changes during the ongoing England tour.
Michael Atherton believes the decision to release seven players and remove the coaching staff has left Babar Azam in a difficult position and raised questions about how much control a Pakistan captain actually has over the team.
Pakistan have already lost the three-match Test series after suffering heavy defeats in the first two matches. England won the Headingley Test by an innings and 103 runs before securing a 194-run victory at Lord's. The PCB then made sweeping changes ahead of the third Test, sending seven players home and replacing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
Babar Azam's Pakistan team in turmoil amid England Tests
Pakistan's England tour has turned into a major controversy following their poor performances and the PCB's response to the results.
The team was comprehensively beaten in the first Test at Headingley before another defeat at Lord's handed England an unassailable 2-0 lead. The PCB reacted by releasing seven players from the touring squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
PCB also removed Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul from their respective coaching positions. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson was brought in to oversee the Test side, while Ashley Noffke replaced Gul as bowling coach. The decision was particularly striking because it came in the middle of a Test series.
The changes created another issue within the selection setup. Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who was part of the selection committee, offered his resignation after the board made the major changes without consulting the committee.
Imam-ul-Haq's situation has also become controversial. The opener suffered a calf injury at Lord's and did not bat in either innings. Pakistan's director of high performance Aaqib Javed subsequently confirmed that an inquiry would take place into the injury, amid questions over why Imam did not attempt to bat.
The tour was further overshadowed by the PCB's dispute with Sky Sports over an interview with Imran Khan's sons during the Lord's Test.
Michael Atherton says Babar Azam’s authority has been undermined in Pakistan
Amid the dramatic developments, Michael Atherton questioned whether Babar Azam has enough authority to lead Pakistan effectively. Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, the former England captain criticized the way the PCB handled the situation and suggested that such decisions could damage the team's long-term stability.
“Not in this instance, no, because of the damage it will do in the long term. This is no way to manage players and no way to build a long-term vision at all,” Michael Atherton said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
“I feel it's a horrible position for a captain, Babar Azam, to be in - and what kind of authority does he or indeed any captain of Pakistan have in this outfit?” he added.
Given what's happened, how do you lead that team now? - Michael Atherton asks Babar Azam
Michael Atherton argued that the PCB's sudden intervention could make Babar's job even harder, particularly after several senior players and members of the coaching staff were removed.
“One understands that the captain is not all-powerful these days, you're not going back 30 years ago when they perhaps ran the show, but they have to have some authority within a team,” said Atherton.
“Given what's happened, how do you lead that team now?” he added.
Also Read: Stuart Broad blames Mohsin Naqvi's PCB for Pakistan cricket team's downfall
