"Qudrat ka Nizam has shown the mirror to Babar Azam" - Basit Ali rips apart Pakistan skipper after lackluster show

Former Pakistani cricketers have been critical of Babar Azam and his teammates for the team's group-stage elimination from the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali blamed skipper Babar Azam for the Pakistan cricket team's disappointing outings in the marquee tournament.

Pakistan was eliminated from the World Cup after the match between the United States of America and Ireland was washed out due to a wet outfield. The United States of America shattered Pakistan's hopes of reaching the Super 8 stage. The USA joined the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team from Group A to reach the Super 8s.

The Men in Green have one match left in the T20 World Cup 2024. They will face Ireland in their final league stage match in Florida on Sunday, June 16. It's worth mentioning that the Babar Azam-led team reached the semi-finals in the 2021 edition and finished as runners-up in the subsequent edition in Australia.

A Certain Selection Within The Team Did - Basit Ali

Basit Ali expressed concerns that team selection appears to prioritize favoritism over merit under Babar Azam's captaincy. Ali emphasized the need for urgent changes following Pakistan's early elimination from the prestigious tournament.

"Pakistan didn't lose, but a certain section within the team did," said Basit Ali on his YouTube channel.

"There seems to be a cozy club around the captain, and the selection seems based on favoritism rather than merit," the former cricketer stated.

Basit Ali emphasized the potential negative impact on Pakistan's future performance. He urged for a transparent selection process that prioritizes current form and player fitness. Ali said that favoring players based on personal relationships could detrimentally affect Pakistan's prospects in cricket going forward.

Basit Ali used the phrase "Qudrat ka Nizam," meaning "nature's order" or "divine intervention," sarcastically to suggest that external forces had revealed Babar Azam's leadership shortcomings. The 53-year-old commented, "Qudrat ka Nizam has shown the mirror to Babar Azam".

Thought The Team Required Minor Surgery - Mohsin Naqvi

Following Pakistan's unexpected defeats against the USA and India, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the necessity of looking beyond the current players in the national team. Naqvi expressed disappointment over the losses, stating that he initially saw them as requiring minor adjustments.

"I thought the team required minor surgery to start winning matches but now it appears that we have to go for major surgery. It is very disappointing the way we lost to the USA and now this loss to India. We need to now start looking at players beyond those in the team right now," Naqvi said, as quoted by Pakistani media.

Babar Azam's team lost a Super Over to the USA in Dallas and later narrowly missed a win against Team India despite bowling them out for 119. Their victory over Canada did little to improve their net run rate, and their elimination was confirmed due to weather conditions in Florida.

Also read: "I'm absolutely confident they will"- Mark Wood reacts to Josh Hazlewood's match-fixing remarks