Ex-Pakistan Selector Details ‘Painful’ Experience with ‘Stubborn’ Babar Azam Ex-Pakistan Selector Details ‘Painful’ Experience with ‘Stubborn’ Babar Azam
Ex-Pakistan Selector Details ‘Painful’ Experience with ‘Stubborn’ Babar Azam

September 2, 2024

Ex-Pakistan Selector Details ‘Painful’ Experience with ‘Stubborn’ Babar Azam

Former PCB chief selector Mohammad Wasim revealed that he struggled to persuade Babar Azam to make necessary changes to the team, as Babar was very stubborn. Pakistan cricket has faced challenges, starting with their failure to reach the semi-finals in the 2023 ODI World Cup, a disappointing exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup after losing to the USA, and a recent Test loss to Bangladesh. These issues led the PCB to drop key players like Shaheen Shah Afridi. Although Babar first captained Pakistan in 2020 and stepped down after the 2023 World Cup, he was reinstated following a change in PCB management. Wasim’s efforts to convince Babar to adjust the team were unsuccessful due to Babar’s reluctance.

“It was painful to make him understand the advantages of changes. He was very stubborn, and I overstepped my limitations to get him on board with certain calls. He was not ready to accept changes,” Wasim told a local sports platform (via Cricket Pakistan).

He also revealed that past coaches identified certain players as a negative influence on the team. Despite his efforts to remove them, he couldn’t get support from the captain.

“I will not take names, but four coaches said that a group of players is cancer to the team. If they are part of the squad, Pakistan can’t win. I tried to remove them from the team, but the team management recalled them,” he added.

Recently, Pakistan cricket has made some surprising decisions, including bringing back retired players Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir for the T20 World Cup. Former chief selector Mohammad Wasim explained that he had previously dropped Imad Wasim from the squad, advising him to focus on his fitness. However, Imad continued to conceal his knee injury for years.

“Imad has a knee injury, but he has been hiding it for years. We always speak about Azam Khan’s fitness levels, but Imad is also suffering from the same problem. He was dropped from the side for that same reason, and I also dropped him during my tenure so that he could work on his fitness,” Mohammad Wasim said in the same interview.

Rahane-Pujara Replacements Set for Australia; Headache for Rohit Sharma, Gambhir

A few young Indian cricketers are expected to travel to Australia to take on roles similar to those once filled by Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. India’s home season will start in 17 days with a two-Test series against Bangladesh, leading up to the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, which begins on November 22. India is aiming for a third consecutive series win in Australia, while Australia seeks to reclaim the trophy after eight years.

Recent matches between India and Australia, including the World Test Championship final, the ODI World Cup, and the T20 World Cup semi-final, have been thrilling. The Duleep Trophy starts on September 5, with players like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Sarfaraz Khan preparing for the upcoming season.

Selectors will soon finalize a 15-member squad after consulting with captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Dinesh Karthik has endorsed Sarfaraz and Gill for the Australia tour. Both players had strong performances in the Test series against England earlier this year, with Sarfaraz scoring 200 runs and Gill amassing 452 runs. Karthik believes they could step into roles similar to those of Pujara and Rahane, though only time will tell if they can match their predecessors’ impact.

“Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan… both of those batters have done really well against England in the home series that took place at the start of the year. I have a feeling both of them will definitely be on that flight to Australia and will be trying to do their best. We will know whether they’ll be able to replace Ajinkya and Pujara. Big shoes to fill but they have the quality and caliber in them,” Karthik said while answering a question on Cricbuzz.

Pujara and Rahane were crucial in India’s last two series victories in Australia. In the 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pujara was the mainstay of India’s middle order, scoring 521 runs in four Tests with three centuries. In the 2020/21 series, Rahane, as the stand-in captain, played a key role with a century in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, helping India achieve a remarkable 2-1 comeback win.

While Rahane and Pujara were essential to Kohli’s team, Sarfaraz Khan has not yet made a similar impact. Shubman Gill’s promotion to No. 3 has been successful, but Sarfaraz’s selection was largely due to injuries to KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. With both players expected to return, it’s uncertain whether Sarfaraz will secure a spot in the starting XI.


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Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for The Wicket Insider, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.