T20 World Cup 2024: 'You just sacked Mohammad Rizwan' - Rashid Latif slams Babar Azam & Co. for giving keeping duties to Azam Khan

Former Pakistan National Cricket Team player Rashid Latif lashed out at the Babar Azam-led side for taking away the wicket-keeping role from the star player Mohammad Rizwan ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He said that keeper-batter was performing the role effectively and should’ve continued.

Pakistan cricket team has come under the scanner for their recent losses against New Zealand, Ireland, and England. One of the major talking points has been the wicket-keeping option, which Azam Khan has been performing since the last series against Ireland. However, the move hasn't paid off and has seen team management receiving a lot of flak.

Ahead of that, Mohammad Rizwan was playing the role exceptionally well. The keeper-batter was extremely successful but since he has been playing solely as a batter, things haven’t been going in the favour of the Pakistan team. Rizwan has 58 dismissals, including 11 stumpings and 47 catches.

Azam Khan has been struggling to get going with both bat as well as the gloves. In the recent series against England, he has dropped quite a few chances. With the bat, he scored 11 and a duck in the last two outings that he played against England. This has seen him getting criticized a lot.

Rashid Latif highlighted the importance of wicketkeeper in the team, claiming that the role needs to be performed by someone senior. He while raising calls to give a Rizwan keeping role, stated that he can also help skipper with decisions. Speaking in a video posted on X, he explained:

“You have Usman Khan and Mohammad Rizwan as wicket-keepers in the squad, apart from Azam Khan. Wicket-keeping should be done by someone who watches the game from behind the stumps, someone who is a senior.”

“Rizwan has been doing it for four years, and you just sacked him away from a role he was performing so effectively. The captain needs the wicket-keeper's help the most, more than any other player on the pitch.”

Azam Khan has been dropping catches - Rashid Latif

Rashid Latif further claimed that Azam Khan is under pressure and has been dropping catches. He stated that Azam Khan can't communicate well with his skipper because he is in a pressured environment. He said:

“Azam Khan has been dropping catches, and is under immense pressure to perform, even the basics. How will he gather the guts to advise the captain on anything? There will be no communication.”

With the kind of lean patch Azam Khan is going through, it will be hard for the team to play him. It remains to be seen if he will take the keeper spot in the T20 World Cup 2024 or not. Pakistan will begin their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against the USA on June 6.