Last Update on: November 14th, 2023 at 10:06 am
Legendary Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev has come to Pakistan skipper Babar Azam‘s defense amidst criticism over his captaincy in the ICC World Cup 2023. Kapil Dev emphasized Babar Azam’s previous success in leading Pakistan to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings.
The Babar Azam-led team faced immense criticism after losing five out of nine games, including defeats against India and Afghanistan. The Men in Green failed to advance to the ODI World Cup semi-finals for the third consecutive edition, finishing fifth on the table.
Babar Azam failed to deliver with the bat during the marquee tournament. The right-handed batter scored 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 82.90, managing four fifties and no centuries. However, his three half-centuries came in losing matches.
Don’t Look At Just Current Performance – Kapil Dev
Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Kapil Dev emphasized the importance of considering Babar’s approach to the game and his overall passion and talent. He urged people to recognize the broader context and potential they bring to the team.
“If you say that Babar Azam is not the right choice [for captaincy] today, it is because you are looking at just his current performance. He was the same captain, who made Pakistan team No.1 [in ICC ODI rankings] six months ago,” said Kapil, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
“When someone gets out for zero, 99 percent of the people would want him to be dropped. If an ordinary player comes and scores a brilliant hundred, then they call him a superstar. So don’t look at just current performance. Look at how he has approached the game, how much passion and talent he has,” he added.
Following Pakistan’s rise to the top of the ODI rankings during the Asia Cup, the team’s performance has drastically declined. They failed to advance to the finals of the continental tournament, finishing in last place in the Super Four stages of the event.
Pakistan Media Have Targetted Certain Players – Ramiz Raja
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja expressed concern about Babar Azam potentially stepping down from his captaincy due to the immense pressure and backlash from the Pakistani media.
“There’s so much pressure on him that he may leave the job. Back home there has obviously been a massive backlash, as expected. The Pakistan media have targeted certain players, and especially Babar Azam,” Raja told the BBC’s Test Match Special.
“It’s just a World Cup so you have to take the heat somehow. The problem with this team is it has the potential to play modern-day cricket but they have been a bit shy and timid with their approach,” Raja added.
