Babar Azam‘s captaincy during the 2023 World Cup has come under severe criticism from former cricketer Danish Kaneria. After Pakistan’s three consecutive defeats in the tournament, Kaneria launched a scathing attack, claiming that Babar lacks leadership skills and simply follows the orders given to him.
“Babar Azam sticks to what’s written on paper and handed to him. He doesn’t have other approaches. Handling pressure while batting is a challenge for him, and that’s why he chose to bat first against Afghanistan. It would have been better to start with the new ball with Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Afridi since Afghanistan’s openers handle pace well,” the former cricketer said in an interview on AajTak.
Currently occupying the fifth position in the 2023 World Cup points table with two wins from five games, Pakistan faces challenges ahead. Kaneria commented on the team’s overall lineup, expressing doubts about the reliability of bowlers like Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali.
“Haris Rauf relies on pace, typical of a tape ball cricketer, and Hasan Ali’s performance is unpredictable. Despite the opportunity for reverse swing, Babar Azam chose to bowl Iftikhar Ahmed from one end. Currently, their performance makes them appear quite weak,” he added.
Pakistan will play against South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, October 27.