PAK Vs BAN: 'Those Who Say Babar Azam Is A Great Haven't Seen The Greats Of The Game...'- Mohammad Hafeez Takes Down Pakistan Captain

During a recent conversation with a Pakistani TV channel, Mohammad Hafeez, a former Pakistan captain and ex-teammate of the current skipper, Babar Azam, expressed his reservations about the tags and accolades heaped upon Babar, raising questions about his greatness and leadership.

As Pakistan finds itself in a dire situation with four consecutive losses in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, fingers are pointing at Babar Azam as a possible contributor to the team’s slump. Hafeez, a seasoned cricketer with a wealth of experience, decided to voice his concerns about Babar’s status and growth as a captain.

In his candid interaction with the Pakistani TV channel, Hafeez indicated that when people refer to Babar Azam as a “great” Pakistani cricketer, he harbors doubts. According to him, those who bestow such a title upon Babar may not have witnessed the true legends of Pakistani cricket.

Hafeez elaborated on this point, stating, “When he’s called a great Pakistan player, then I have doubts over it. Those who say that probably haven’t seen greats of the game – from Pakistan and around the world. Yes, he is a very, very good player. He is not great yet. He has to prove a lot of right things – and there are stages yet to come in his career.

“We are putting a tag on him before he’s reached those stages. That’s pressure on him, and when he’s not able to perform in big tournaments, the load of expectations is so high, that people then deal with it in a wrong way.”

Babar Azam Should Make A Decision Between His Captaincy And Batting

Furthermore, Hafeez raised concerns about the growth and maturity that should have been evident in Babar Azam’s performance over the last three years as the team’s captain. He suggested that Babar must make a critical decision regarding the immense pressure and expectations he is currently facing, or the cricket board officials should contemplate the best course of action.

Hafeez remarked, “If you’re talking about Babar’s captaincy, I’ve said it before the maturity and technical growth that should have come in the last three years hasn’t been seen. He needs to make the decision himself or the cricket board officials need to: whether we need to take that pressure off Babar, and allow him to become great. Or, see if he can shine under this pressure.”

Hafeez’s comments underscore the growing scrutiny and pressure on Babar Azam, both in terms of his individual performance and his leadership as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. The debate regarding Babar’s potential and the expectations placed upon him continues to be a subject of significant discussion within the cricketing fraternity.