PAK vs NZ: Mohammad Hafeez warns against harmful effects of Babar Azam's captaincy reinstatement
Updated - 18 Apr 2024, 04:35 PM
Mohammad Hafeez, former Pakistan National Cricket Team Director and coach, made yet another controversial statement on the recent captaincy changes in the team. Hafeez questioned the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to reinstate Babar Azam as the white-ball captain.
The former Pakistan skipper also questioned the decision behind removing Babar from the captaincy after the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, only to bring him back shortly afterward. He criticized the decisions and said that such popular calls were eventually harmful to the team's unity and performance.
We are creating issues within the team: Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Hafeez was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan: “If the decision was made to remove Babar from captaincy and appoint someone else as captain, then in two months, what wrong did he [Shaheen] do and what right did he [Babar] do to come back again?
I think decisions like these are taken as a popular decision, it is harmful, not beneficial. And that's why within the team, some groups have been formed due to this decision. It is unfortunate that seeds have been sown to create issues within the team.”
He admitted that there is room for improvement for Babar as the skipper. Hafeez mentioned that if Babar has learned from his mistakes and makes better decisions now and does all the things he didn't do before, then things might get better and the team can get better results.
The former team director was not also happy with the team selection for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home. Hafeez said that the selection for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand showed a repetition of their past decisions.
Captaincy would not change his bond with Shaheen Afridi: Babar Azam
Despite New Zealand's depleted lineup, with 12 to 13 key players unavailable, Pakistan picked the players who were not active lately, and Hafeez called this decision weak. Pakistan recalled Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir for the five-match T20I series against the Black Caps.
Well, Babar took over Pakistan’s white-ball captaincy from Shaheen Afridi, and this can ruin their relationship, even the media reports suggest that the pacer is not really happy with the change. However, Babar stressed that this captaincy would not change his bond with Shaheen.
Babar said in the pre-match press conference, “I want to make clear that Shaheen [Afridi] and my bond is not recent, it goes back a long way. We support each other in every situation. Our aim is to put Pakistan first, and how to put Pakistan's name up in lights. We don't think of individual glory, and thankfully, those elements are not present in my team.”
Pakistan Squad For T20I Series vs New Zealand:
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan.
Non-travelling reserves:
Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha.
Schedule For the Pakistan versus New Zealand T20I Series:
18 April – 1st T20I, Rawalpindi
20 April – 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi
21 April – 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi
25 April – 4th T20I, Lahore
27 April – 5th T20I, Lahore
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Mohammad Hafeez Babar Azam Shaheen Afridi Pakistan national cricket team PAK vs NZ PAK vs NZ 2024
