Legendary cricketer Javed Miandad criticized the appointments made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following a revamp of the entire coaching staff. Javed Miandad expressed disappointment over the selection of younger coaches for the national team.

Mohammad Hafeez has been appointed as the team director, succeeding Mickey Arthur. Hafeez will also serve as the head coach for the upcoming Test series against Australia. Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal will serve as fast and spin bowling coaches, respectively.

There Should Be A Significant Age Difference – Javed Miandad

While speaking to the media on Tuesday in Karachi, Miandad advocated for a significant age difference between coaches and players to ensure respect. He pointed out the removal of Babar Azam from the captaincy, stating that they lack an understanding of cricket.

“There should be a significant age difference between coaches and players. If there is no age gap, players will not respect the coach,” Miandad said, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

“Those who don’t understand cricket removed Babar Azam from captaincy,” he further added.

The board made changes following the team’s disappointing campaign in the recently concluded World Cup 2023. The Men in Green failed to qualify for the semi-finals and finished in fifth place. They also didn’t qualify for the finals during the Asia Cup 2023.

Sarfaraz Ahmed Should Have Been The Captain – Javed Miandad

Javed Miandad stated that wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed should be named as captain of the team for the red ball series against Australia due to his leadership experience.

“Sarfaraz Ahmed should not only be included in the team against Australia, but due to his experience, he should have been the captain,” Miandad further stated.

Babar Azam stepped down from the captaincy across all formats. Shan Masood was named as the Test captain ahead of Shaheen Afridi. Shaheen Afridi became the T20I captain, while the ODI captaincy is yet to be officially confirmed by the cricket board.

Pakistan Squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Also read: They Will Encounter Some Hostility In India: Javed Miandad’s Advice To Pakistan For World Cup

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Pakistan star Babar Azam has reacted to India’s loss against Australia in the final of the recently concluded ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Australia stunned India by six wickets to clinch a record-extending sixth World Cup title on Sunday (November 19). Not many were expecting Australia to win the final but the team from Down Under did not take long to show why they are the greatest team in the history of the competition. Almost everything went Australia’s way as they thoroughly dominated the contest.

Pat Cummins opted to bowl first after winning the toss and his decision was totally justified as he and his fellow bowlers dismissed India for a modest total of 240 runs. For India, KL Rahul (66) and Virat Kohli (54) scored fifties while captain Rohit Sharma played a quickfire knock of 47 runs. For Australia, Mitchell Starc claimed 3 wickets while Cummins and Josh Hazlewood accounted for two wickets apiece.

Babar Azam reacts to India’s loss:

In reply, Australia were off to a poor start. They were reeling at 47 for 3 after losing the wickets of David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith. However, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne did not let India make further inroads in the game. The duo went on to share a mammoth stand of 192 runs to seal the game for their side.

When Mohammed Siraj dismissed Head to finally break the partnership, Australia needed only 2 runs in more than 7 overs. Glenn Maxwell then hit the winning runs to seal a memorable triumph for his side. Head was the to-scorer for Australia, scoring 137 off 120 balls with the help of 15 fours and 4 sixes while Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 58 off 110 balls.

Soon after the final ended, Babar Azam took to Instagram to react. The former Pakistan captain posted a story in which he congratulated Australia, writing: “Congratulations @CricketAus! What a commanding performance in the final.”

Meanwhile, Babar Azam recently stepped down as the captain of Pakistan in all the three formats after his team’s dismal outing in the World Cup. Pakistan failed to make it to the semifinals once again after managing only 4 wins in 9 games.

The post Babar Azam Reacts To India’s Loss Against Australia In World Cup Final appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar talked about Babar Azam stepping down as the skipper for the team in all three formats.  He said that the treatment that the Pakistan Cricket Board gave to him was unjust and he shouldn’t have been pushed to resign.

Pakistan’s poor outing in the  ICC World Cup 2023 made Babar Azam step down as the captain of the team in all three formats of the game. The right-hander gave his resignation after reaching back home and said that he would continue to give his best as a player to the team.

Various reports suggested that PCB wanted Babar Azam to captain in the Test but he didn’t want to do it in one format. Therefore he had to step down. There was a lot of external pressure on him as well as many lashed out at him for the team’s ouster in the tournament.

Shoaib Akhtar said that Babar Azam shouldn’t have been removed from the Test captaincy even though he didn’t want to captain in all three formats. He explained (as quoted by Cricket Pakistan):

“The treatment with Babar Azam was unjust. I categorically say that in such a short time, he should not have been removed from the captaincy of Test matches. Even though he said he didn’t want captaincy of all formats and the board was insisting on him captaining Test matches, he shouldn’t have resigned, and he shouldn’t have been pushed out.”

They should have given him 1.5 months – Shoaib Akhtar on Babar Azam

Shoaib Akhtar further said that PCB should’ve given Babar Azam 1.5 months before taking the captaincy from him. He highlighted how similar things have been happening in Pakistan cricket in the past. He concluded by saying that had he been there, he would’ve given him time to resolve the issues. He elaborated:

“They should have given him 1.5 months without saying a word, but the board didn’t do that. We are experts in removing someone from their position and this is how the entire management of Pakistan works, just remove and banish. There has been injustice with Babar. If I were there, I would have given him this month and then worked on a new strategy because now there will be talk of resolving the rift.”

After Babar Azam stepped down as the leader of the team, PCB immediately named Shaan Masood as the Test captain and Shaheen Afridi as the T20I skipper.

The post ‘Treatment With Babar Azam Was Unjust’ – Shoaib Akhtar Slams PCB  appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan seamer, Mohammad Amir, has suggested a reconstruction in Pakistan’s T20 International (T20I) opening pair. Amir shared his opinion on a local news channel expressing his preference for a change in the opening combination. Currently, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan open the innings for Pakistan in T20Is.

Mohammad Amir chose Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman to open the innings in T20Is. According to Amir, impact players should bat at the top of the order as the initial overs are crucial in T20s.

Mohammad Amir emphasized the need for impact players at the top of the order citing the significance of the initial overs in a T20 match. “I’ll pick Fakhar and Saim as openers, I won’t even keep Babar and Rizwan as openers. Because in T20, six overs of batting and six overs of bowling are extremely important,” Amir said.

The post Mohammad Amir Shuns Babar Azam And Mohammad Rizwan To Pick Pakistan’s New Opening Pair In T20Is appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan did not have a memorable ICC Cricket World Cup 2o23. They crashed out after suffering five defeats in their nine league-stage matches which included defeats against their Asian rivals India and Afghanistan. The Men In Green failed to perform in all aspects and had to face severe repercussions for the results, especially skipper Babar Azam.

Babar Azam resigned as the skipper of the Pakistan Men’s National Cricket Team and former Australia opener Matthew Hayden came in support of Babar Azam saying that his record as a captain is phenomenal. Firstly, Hayden talked about the issues that led to an early exit for Pakistan in the World Cup. He mentioned the absence of Naseem Shah as one of the reasons alongside the bad form of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman.

“Firstly, they didn’t have Naseem (Shah). They had, I believe some concerns over their world-class left-arm pacer. Shaheen came in, and we watched him closely during the Asia Cup, he was a little underdone. Fakhar Zaman didn’t really arrive at this tournament, and then when he did, it was probably too late for Pakistan,” said Matthew Hayden.

Watch- Matthew Hayden Explaining Pakistan’s Poor Show In The World Cup

"They've potentially shot the gun a little bit early in terms of his leadership capabilities"@haydostweets discusses Babar Azam stepping down as Pakistan's captain 🗣 https://t.co/aXy2I16Ygu #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/8Rem4w8jtc

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 17, 2023

The Former Australian opener went on to add the poor show of spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan who failed to create an impact. He also said that the main problem for Pakistan is not having a conducive high-performing culture.

“They had their spinners, Nawaz and Shadab, who both were finding it really difficult in 2023, firstly to retain their spot, which they didn’t in the World Cup. So there were lots of challenges in and around the actual setup. I always sense, that with Pakistan, it has never to do with the actual leadership of the group itself. It’s more just the overall game, having a structure that’s conducive to a high-performance culture which is the most challenging element, I feel, for Pakistan cricket,” he added.

The Former Australian Supports Babar Azam

Matthew Hayden then talked about Babar Azam’s performance as a captain and how the reaction shocked him. He mentioned Babar’s average being more than 50 as a captain and condemned the management for firing the gun way too early.

“Whoever was doing the numbers clearly wasn’t looking at them, when it came to Babar’s performances as non-captain and captain. He actually had better numbers as a captain. We’re talking an average of 50, plus more. So he was a natural leader, a good choice. I think they’ve potentially shot the gun a little bit early in terms of his leadership capabilities. He’s still a young player, a dominant player in World cricket. So I’m a little disappointed and a little shocked about the reaction,” Hayden concluded.

Pakistan will now face Australia in a three-match test series in Australia starting from December 2023. The Men in Green will have to get back up after their disappointing performance in the World Cup. Meanwhile, Australia and India will face each other in the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not announced the new skipper for Pakistan’s ODI team but there are speculations that Shaheen Afridi might take over the leadership role. Shaheen Shah Afridi is the captain of his PSL side Lahore Qalandars and has led his team to two consecutive PSL titles in 2022 and 2023.

The post “He’s Natural Leader” – Matthew Hayden Shocked & Disappointed After Babar Azam’s Resignation appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan’s new Test team captain, Shan Masood, acknowledged Babar Azam’s extensive experience and leadership qualities. Shan Masood credited Babar Azam for his significant contributions to the team’s progress and expressed confidence in taking the team forward.

Babar Azam resigned from the captaincy across three formats after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the 2023 World Cup. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named Shan Masood as the Test captain ahead of wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan.

Babar Azam Had A Major Contribution – Shan Masood

Shan Masood expressed strong confidence in Babar Azam‘s leadership capabilities and highlighted his significant role in guiding the team’s progress. Masood stated that Azam remains the team’s leader even when he is not officially captaining the side.

“Babar has a vast experience since he has captained the side for four years and even when he isn’t the captain, he still is the leader of the team,” Masood said.

“He had a major contribution in taking this team forward. I think he will take this team forward from now onwards,” Masood asserted confidently.

Extremely Grateful To The PCB – Shan Masood

Shan Masood expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the Pakistan team in red-ball cricket. He acknowledged the challenges of Test cricket and emphasized the responsibility of creating a unique identity and playing a brand of cricket that excites fans.

“It’s an honour and privilege to even play for Pakistan. As far leading Pakistan is concerned, I am extremely grateful to the cricket board, all stakeholders who saw the acumen in me to take this responsibility and take the team forward.”

“There will be challenges, red-ball cricket is the toughest format and I think it’s an onus on all of us to take Pakistan forward in red-ball cricket, create our own identity, formulate a blueprint, play a certain brand of cricket that excite our fans and when other teams play us, Pakistan will be recognized with that identity and brand of cricket.”

The opening batter represented the Pakistan team in 30 Test matches. The southpaw amassed 1,597 runs in 56 innings at an average of 28.51, with a best score of 156 runs. He has recorded four centuries and seven half-centuries in his red-ball international career.

Also read: Shaheen Afridi Named Pakistan T20I Captain, Shan Masood To Lead In Tests

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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has made a bold prediction as he names Babar Azam as someone who can break Virat Kohli’s record. Virat Kohli created history on Wednesday (November 15) during the first semi-final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which was played between India and New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The 35-year-old batting maestro became the first player in history to score 50 centuries in ODI cricket. He went past the long-standing world record of 49 ODI centuries set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli’s 50th ODI hundred came on Tendulkar’s home ground on the day when Sachin made his international debut for India, 34 years ago, as a 16-year-old kid against Pakistan in Karachi during a Test match.

Sachin Tendulkar amassed 49 ODI centuries in 463 matches throughout his 24-year-old long career. However, Virat Kohli took 172 innings less than Tendulkar to break this record by scoring 50 ODI centuries. Meanwhile, the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is third on this elite list with 31 centuries to his name in the ODI format.

Kamran Akmal Believes Babar Azam And Shubman Gill Can Break Virat Kohli’s Record

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal believes that Babar Azam can break Virat Kohli’s record in the future. Kamran Akmal sees Babar Azam and Shubman Gill as the ones who can target this record of Virat. He said that only a top-order batter would be able to break this record.

“Only Top order batters will be able to break 50 hundreds record. Middle-order batsmen can’t break it. We have Babar Azam who can do it. He plays in Top-3. They (India) have (Shubman) Gill, who can follow this record,” Akmal said on ARY News.

Babar Azam has 19 centuries to his name in 117 ODIs so far. He recently resigned from the captaincy role on Wednesday (November 15) after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup 2023. Under his leadership, Pakistan lost five matches out of nine in the World Cup and faced four consecutive defeats including a heartbreaking one against Afghanistan.

Babar did not have an auspicious tournament with the bat as well. He averaged 40 in the World Cup scoring 320 runs without a single century to his name.

The post Babar Azam Can Break Virat Kohli’s 50 ODI Centuries Record – Kamran Akmal appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has dismissed rumors of his involvement in discussions or efforts to promote pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20I captain. Shahid Afridi clarified that he had no role in Shaheen Afridi’s appointment as Pakistan skipper.

Shaheen Afridi was appointed as the T20I captain on November 15, following Babar Azam’s resignation from leadership across formats. Speculations arose that Shaheen’s father-in-law, Shahid Afridi, might have influenced the decision to secure the speedster’s captaincy.

Always Has Been In The Favor Of Mohammad Rizwan – Shahid Afridi

While talking on a local news channel, Shahid Afridi opened up about the speculations surrounding his alleged influence on captaincy decisions, stating that he always supported Mohammad Rizwan for the leadership role.

“I always have been in the favor of Mohammad Rizwan. I swear, I never talked about making Shaheen the captain, nor did I ever lobby. I am not involved in these things. I don’t have to, and I don’t like it either,” Afridi said.

Babar Azam Should not Be Removed From The Captaincy – Shahid Afridi

Afridi disclosed that he advised PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf to retain Babar Azam as the captain. He emphasized his preference to keep Shaheen Afridi away from the captaincy role. He emphasized that captaincy changes are inevitable and part of the game.

“I said that Babar should not be removed from the captaincy. I wanted to keep Shaheen away from the captaincy. It has to happen; this is what happens to the captain in the end,” he further added.

Entirely Mohammad Hafeez’s Decision – Shahid Afridi

“Shaheen as captain is entirely Mohammad Hafeez’s and the PCB chairman’s decision. I have nothing to do with that. I never lobbied for Shaheen’s captaincy. In fact, I have always wanted to keep Shaheen away from the captaincy.”

The PCB appointed senior batter Shan Masood to replace Babar Azam in Test cricket. The decision to replace Babar Azam came after Pakistan’s inconsistent performance in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, where they failed to secure a berth in the knockout stage.

Also read: Shahid Afridi Wants Abdul Razzaq To Apologize For ‘Distasteful’ Remarks On Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

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Former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja shared insights into Babar Azam’s resignation from the captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team across all formats. Raja suggested that Babar Azam might have realized that replacements for the captaincy role were already decided.

After Pakistan’s disappointing performances in the World Cup 2023, Babar Azam resigned from the captaincy. Shaheen Afridi has been appointed as the T20I captain, while Shan Masood is for Tests. However, the board has yet to announce the new captain for ODIs.

After Five Minutes New Captains Were Announced – Ramiz Raja

Speaking to a local TV channel, Ramiz Raja stated that the quick announcement of new captains within few minutes of Babar Azam’s resignation indicated a pre-planned decision.

“Babar Azam must have realized replacements were already decided, and that’s why he resigned cause it doesn’t happen occasionally that he leaves. After five minutes, new captains were announced,” Ramiz Raja said.

Zaka Ashraf Proposes Babar Azam To Continue As Test Skipper

PCB Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf held a meeting with Babar Azam at the board headquarters in Lahore to discuss the World Cup campaign. Ashraf proposed for Babar to continue as the Test captain, but Babar decided to step down from the role.

Zaka Ashraf expressed admiration for Babar Azam’s cricketing abilities, stating that without the burden of captaincy, they hope to see him grow as a batter and reach greater heights.

“Babar Azam is truly a world-class player and we want him to continue to thrive as a player,” Ashraf said. “He is one of the best batters Pakistan has ever produced. He is our asset, and we will continue to support him. His batting prowess is a testament to his dedication and skill. He is a role model for the present generation.”

“We want to see him grow as a great batter and now without his additional burden of the captaincy, he can focus more on his performances to reach even greater heights. We respect his decision and will continue to back him,” Zaka Ashraf said.

Also read: Ramiz Raja Gives A Befitting Reply To Hasan Raza For His Allegations On India; Asks Him Why Pakistan Couldn’t Do It

The post “Babar Azam Must Have Realized…” – Ramiz Raja Slams Zaka Ashraf For Pre-Planning Babar’s Resignation appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim and former cricketer Mohammad Amir made bold claims about ace batter Babar Azam’s future in the shorter format of the game. Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir stated that Babar doesn’t deserve a place in Pakistan’s T20I side.

Babar Azam represented the Pakistan cricket team in 104 T20I matches, scoring 3485 runs at an impressive average of 41.49. The right-handed batter has smashed three centuries and 30 half-centuries. However, Babar’s strike rate (128.41) and slow approach were criticized.

It Is A Tough Call, But – Imad Wasim

Speaking on a local news channel, Imad Wasim emphasized that Babar Azam might not deserve a spot in the T20I squad, expressing that the decision is a “tough call.” Mohammad Amir echoed Imad’s sentiment, stating that Babar doesn’t deserve a spot in Pakistan’s T20I squad.

“It is a tough call but Babar doesn’t deserve a place in T20,” Imad said.

“Babar doesn’t deserve to be in T20,” Amir echoed Imad’s sentiment.

Babar Azam holds the record for the most wins as captain in the shorter format, securing the 42nd win out of 71 matches under his leadership. The 29-year-old shares the top spot with former England captain Eoin Morgan and former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan.

Babar Azam Is Truly A World-Class Player – Zaka Ashraf

Shaheen Shah Afridi has been appointed as the new captain of Pakistan’s T20I team, replacing Babar Azam. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made an announcement on Wednesday, November 15, following Pakistan’s early exit from the World Cup 2023 group stage.

“Babar Azam is truly a world-class player and we want him to continue to thrive as a player. He is one of the best batters Pakistan has ever produced. He is our asset, and we will continue to support him. His batting prowess is a testament to his dedication and skill. He is a role model for the present generation,” Ashraf said.

“We want to see him grow as a great batter and now without his additional burden of the captaincy, he can focus more on his performances to reach even greater heights. We respect his decision and will continue to back him,” he added.

The Men in Green’s next T20I assignment is against New Zealand in a five-match T20I series, scheduled to begin on January 12, 2024, in Auckland. The team will play more T20I matches next year as they prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Also read: Babar Azam Quits Pakistan Captaincy After World Cup Disaster

The post ‘Babar Azam Doesn’t Deserve..’- Mohammad Amir And Imad Wasim Thrash Former Pakistan Captain appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Babar Azam is reportedly contemplating legal action to sue those who leaked his private conversation with a senior official from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month. Pakistan’s campaign in the 2023 World Cup was rocked due to a major controversy that erupted after Rashid Latif claimed that Babar Azam had fallen out of favor with some senior PCB officials.

The former Pakistan wicketkeeper claimed that PCB officials, including CEO Zaka Ashraf, were not responding to calls and messages from Babar Azam. With the PCB officials facing the heat from the fans, Ashraf shared a WhatsApp conversation between Babar Azam and PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, Salman Naseer, with a sports journalist.

The leaked chat showed Naseer questioning the former Pakistan captain about rumors surrounding unsuccessful attempts to contact the chairman. In response, Babar Azam dismissed all the rumors. But the controversy further escalated when a Pakistani news channel aired a screenshot of the chat, allegedly with permission from  Ashraf. The PCB, however, had distanced itself from the controversy.

Babar Azam to take legal actions:

Babar Azam is in no mood to let the matter go and is considering legal action against the perpetrators. According to a report from Cricket Pakistan, before his meeting with the PCB head at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy (NCA), Babar Azam engaged in consultations regarding the possibility of taking legal action in response to the breach of his privacy.

In another major development, he has also stepped down as Pakistan’s captain in all formats. The star batsman took the decision after his team’s poor show in the World Cup. Pakistan finished at the fifth spot with just 4 wins and 5 losses as they missed out on the semifinal spot for the third time in a row.

“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call.I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility,” said Babar Azam.

The post Babar Azam Set To Take Legal Action Against Zaka Ashraf appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced former captain Mohammad Hafeez as the director of the Pakistan Men’s cricket team on November 15. The board assigned the responsibility to Mohammad Hafeez following Pakistan’s poor World Cup campaign. Additionally, Mohammad Hafeez will also be taking up the Head Coach responsibility on the Pakistan tour of Australia later this year.

Mohammad Hafeez, a recent member of the PCB’s technical committee, has assumed the role of director for the Pakistan Men’s cricket team, succeeding Mickey Arthur. The 43-year-old played a significant role in Pakistan’s victorious 2017 Champions Trophy campaign.

Mohammad Hafeez Has Been Given The Responsibility – PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board has made a significant decision to dismiss the entire coaching staff, including Mickey Arthur. The board is expected to reveal a new coaching staff for the national men’s team ahead of the upcoming series in Australia and New Zealand.

“Former Test captain Mohammad Hafeez has been given the responsibility of Director – Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team. Mohammad Hafeez has featured for Pakistan in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is and has scored 12,780 runs and has taken 253 wickets,” the PCB release stated.

“The PCB has changed the portfolio of the Pakistan coaching staff. All coaches will continue to work in National Cricket Academy while PCB will announce the new coaching staff in due course for the upcoming series in Australia and New Zealand,” the statement added.

Mohammad Hafeez has an impressive career record in international cricket, scoring nearly 13,000 runs and securing over 250 wickets in 392 games. The former all-rounder represented the national cricket team in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20I matches.

Babar Azam Steps Down From Captain In All Three Formats

Pakistan faced disappointment in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup. The Men in Green finished at the bottom of the Super Four stage in the Asia Cup. They failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2023, securing fifth place in the 10-team points table.

Following a revamp in the Pakistan coaching staff, Babar Azam resigned from the captaincy, leading to the appointment of Shaheen Afridi as the T20I captain and Shan Masood as the Test skipper. However, the ODI captain is yet to be confirmed by the cricket board.

Also read: “One Of My Better Shots…”- Michael Vaughan Drowns Mohammad Hafeez With Latest Jibe

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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif has raised questions about Babar Azam’s decision to step down as Test captain, as the latter relinquished the captaincy in all three formats.

Ending all speculations surrounding his future as Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam resigned as captain in all formats on Thursday (November 15). A change in captaincy was very much anticipated after Pakistan’s failure in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 as well as the Asia Cup.

Pakistan entered the World Cup as one of the favorites and kicked off their campaign with a couple of wins. However, their momentum was abruptly halted after suffering four consecutive defeats, including a historic first-ever ODI loss against Afghanistan. Although the Babar Azam-led side managed to secure victories over Bangladesh and New Zealand, it proved too late to salvage their campaign.

Rashid Latif furious with captaincy change:

Pakistan eventually finished their campaign at the fifth spot with 4 wins and 5 defeats as they missed out on a semifinal spot for the third time in a row. Throughout the tournament, Babar Azam faced severe criticism for his leadership as not only fans but several former players also openly called for his sacking.

Reports also suggested that there was a rift in the dressing room and the star batsman was also not on good terms with some senior PCB officials. And on Thursday, the right-handed batsman decided to resign as the captain of the Pakistan team in all formats.

“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call. I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication. I want to express my sincere thanks to the PCB for entrusting me with this significant responsibility,” he said.

However, his decision to give up Test captaincy has not been well-received by Rashid Latif. The former cricketer believes there is more than meets the eye. He took to X to question Babar Azam’s decision and stated that a dressing room split could be the reason. He shared a comprehensive list detailing the tumultuous history of Pakistan cricket, writing:

“Rebellions, Division, Fixing, Surrogate and revolts not uncommon to Pakistan Cricket. Why Babar Azam refuse to Lead the Test Format?”

Rebellions, Division , Fixing , Surrogate and revolts not uncommon to Pakistan Cricket.

Why Babar Azam refused to Lead Test Format?

Time to Time Historical Facts of Division | Revolts | Rebellions | Sacking & resignations

1981 Revolt against Javed Miandad
1992 World Cup… pic.twitter.com/voo0KrBD0y

— Rashid Latif | 🇵🇰 (@iRashidLatif68) November 15, 2023

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In a major development, the Pakistan National Cricket Team all-format captain Babar Azam has stepped down from his position across all three formats of the game following the World Cup debacle.

The decision comes after the poor performance of Team Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The Men In Green were expected to dominate in both competitions considering their strong team and the familiar sub-continent conditions. However, they performed poorly.

The Babar Azam & Co. finished at the 4th and last position on the Asia Cup Super Four stage points table and in the 5th position in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table, with just 4 wins.

Pakistan started off their World Cup 2023 on high, thoroughly winning back-to-back matches. But after that, they went on a 4-match losing streak, which jeopardized their semi-final chances.

In their last World Cup 2023 group stage game, the Men In Green needed to chase down the target of 338 runs against England in 6.4 overs to overtake the Net Run Rate of New Zealand and seal a semi-final spot. However, they only managed to score 30/2 after 6.4 overs, to get knocked out of the competition. In the end, they faced a 93-run loss in the game.

Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats – Babar Azam

Babar Azam took to his official X handle to state that he has experienced many highs and lows during his tenure as the all-format captain of Team Pakistan. Babar Azam credited the team management, coaches, and players for Pakistan reaching the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings under his tenure.

He further announced that he was stepping down as captain and stated that he was ready to provide all his support to the newly appointed skipper of the side. Babar Azam elaborated:

“I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019. Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in the cricket world.

“Reaching the number 1 spot in the white-ball format was a result of the collective efforts of players, coaches, and management but I’d like to express my gratitude to passionate Pakistan cricket fans for their unwavering support during this journey.

“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call. I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication. I want to express my sincere thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for entrusting me with this significant responsibility. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD.”

pic.twitter.com/8hZqS9JH0M

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) November 15, 2023

Under Babar Azam’s leadership, Pakistan played 43 ODIs and won 26 while losing 15. In T20Is, Babar Azam led Pakistan to 42 wins out of 71 matches with the side suffering losses in 23 matches. Also, he led Pakistan in 20 Tests, out of which the side won 10 and lost 6.

The post Babar Azam Quits Pakistan Captaincy After World Cup Disaster appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has proposed a player who could replace Babar Azam as skipper of the team in both white-ball formats. However, Shahid Afridi highlighted that Babar Azam should continue leading the national cricket team in red ball cricket.

The Babar Azam-led team had a disastrous campaign in the World Cup 2023, failing to qualify for the semi-finals for the third consecutive edition. Pakistan managed to secure just four wins out of nine matches. They ended the tournament in fifth place in the points table.

Babar Azam Should Remain Pakistan’s Test Captain – Shahid Afridi

Speaking to Samaa News, Shahid Afridi has suggested that Mohammad Rizwan should take over the captaincy for Pakistan in ODIs and T20Is while emphasizing that Babar Azam should retain the leadership role in Test cricket.

“Mohammad Rizwan should be Pakistan’s ODI and T20I captain, Babar Azam should remain Pakistan’s Test captain,” Shahid Afridi said.

Babar Azam assumed the role of white-ball captain in 2019, succeeding Sarfaraz Ahmed, and later became the Test captain in 2021. Pakistan reached the semi-finals and finals of the last two T20 World Cups. He also guided the team to the No. 1 ranking in ODI cricket.

We Have Seen A Lot Of Mistakes – Shahid Afridi

Earlier, Afridi expressed disappointment over Babar Azam’s captaincy in the 2023 World Cup. Afridi had hoped that Azam’s leadership would improve over his 3–4 years as captain, but he observed mistakes and unmet expectations.

“I am a big fan of Babar and so are many others. People criticized me for criticizing Babar’s captaincy (aap Babar ki kaptani ke piche pade hain). Babar has always been like a younger brother to me,” said Afridi, as quoted by The Times of India.

“I wanted Babar to be on the list of top captains. He has been captaining for 3-4 years. During this period, there was never a sword hanging over his captaincy. We all supported him. We thought in 3-4 years his grooming would make him better. He would be able to prove himself as a captain and a leader but that hasn’t happened. We have seen a lot of mistakes.”

Also read: Shoaib Akhtar Condemns Abdul Razzaq’s Comments On Aishwarya Rai Bachchan; Targets Shahid Afridi

The post Not Shaheen Afridi Or Shan Masood! Shahid Afridi Suggests New White-Ball Captain For Pakistan Team appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly decided to sack Babar Azam as the captain from all formats. Speculations are rife that the under-fire star batsman is set to be sacked as the captain across formats after Pakistan’s poor show in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

While he led the team to the number one spot in the ICC rankings earlier this year, he could not guide them to the semifinals of the World Cup. Pakistan were one of the pre-tournament favorites but failed to live up to the expectations in an ODI World Cup once again. They finished at the fifth spot with 4 wins and 5 defeats and missed out on a semifinal spot in an ODI World Cup for the third time in a row.

Babar Azam’s captaincy was questioned throughout as not only fans but several former cricketers have also openly urged the PCB to sack him. A few former players such as Kamran Akmal have also advised the right-handed batsman to give up captaincy in order to focus more on his batting. He failed to live up to the expectations as a batsman as well. In 9 games, the right-handed batter scored 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of just over 80.

PCB all but sacks Babar Azam:

While the PCB is yet to give an official update on Babar Azam’s fate as the captain of the Pakistan team, Pakistani news outlet Geo News has reported that the board is all set to sack the batter as the captain. Quoting a source, the news outlet stated that the PCB would accept the batter’s resignation; otherwise, they would sack him from the post.

The report also added that Shan Masood is a strong candidate for the captain’s slot in the upcoming Test series against Australia. On the other hand, pacer Shaheen Afridi is leading the race to become the captain of the T20I side. With Pakistan’s next ODI assignment set for November next year, the PCB is likely to delay the announcement of a new ODI captain.

The post Shan Masood To Captain Pakistan Test Team, Shaheen Afridi To Lead T20Is As Babar Azam Sacked By PCB- Report appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan Cricketer Sikander Bakht lashed out at 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev for supporting Babar Azam after speculations to sack Babar from his position as the captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team rose. Sikander Bakht talked about how India changed Virat Kohli after India crashed out at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the group stage.

Pakistan had a terrible outing in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as they again failed to qualify for the semi-finals. The Men In Green under the leadership of Babar Azam, lost four consecutive matches for the first time in World Cup history which included defeats against India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa. After losing their last league match against England, they ended their campaign with just four wins to their name out of nine matches.

Babar Azam has faced a lot of criticism from fans and pundits alike, for his poor performance as a batter and as a captain. He scored 320 runs in 9 matches with an average of 40.0. It was 154 runs less than his debut World Cup campaign in 2019.

Sikander Bakht lashed out at Kapil Dev saying “My brother Kapil Dev, you changed Virat Kohli after he lost against Pakistan, which means if India does this, it is right and if we do it, we talk about changing things then why they have a problem? Didn’t they (India) change Sachin and Virat? In the last five years, they have changed two captains. Why? because it did not look like they were captain materials.”

Watch- Sikander Bakht Replying To Kapil Dev Supporting Babar Azam

Why Kapil Dev trying to support Babar Adam ?? Didn’t India changed Kohli & Sachin in the Past ??@TheRealPCBMedia @TheRealPCB @babarazam258 #sikanderbakht #PakistanCricket @therealkapildev #PakistanCricketTeam #AUSvsPAK pic.twitter.com/MWWiiyLfGV

— Sikander Bakht (@Sikanderbakhts) November 14, 2023

Babar Azam is set to meet PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf in order to discuss his future as the captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team. It is highly speculated that Babar will be stepping down as captain and he will be replaced by Shan Masood in the red-ball format and Shaheen Shah Afridi will be leading in T20s. As far as ODIs are concerned, PCB will reveal the names soon for Babar’s replacement as captain.

Babar Azam was made the limited-overs captain in 2019 and test captain in 2021. During his stint, Pakistan became the No.1 T20I side and No.1 ODI side but he failed to win any multi-nation tournament as Pakistan’s skipper. He may be leaving Pakistan’s captaincy but he will always be a leadership figure in the team and will be leading Pakistan’s batting.

The post “You Changes virat Kohli When He Lost To Pakistan..”- Sikander Bakht’s Open Challenge To Kapil Dev appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Babar Azam failed to end Pakistan’s long wait for the World Cup title as their campaign in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 ended in a disappointing way.

The Men in Green have not won the coveted title since 1992 when Imran Khan led them to their maiden title. They have not qualified for the final since 1992 while they last appeared in the semifinals in 2011. Expectations were sky-high from Babar Azam after he led the team to the number one rankings in ODIs earlier this year.

He, however, failed to lead the team to the knockouts. Pakistan crashed out at the league stage after managing just 4 wins in 9 games. They began their campaign with 2 wins before losing 4 games in a row. It was followed by two more wins before England inflicted a 93-run defeat on the Babar Azam-led side.

Kamran Akmal takes shots at fans:

Following Babar Azam’s failure as a captain in the World Cup, Kamran Akmal has come down heavily on him. The former wicketkeeper-batsman launched a scathing attack at the under-fire Pakistan captain while speaking at a recent event. He opined that Babar’s predecessors would have led the team to glory had they received the same support he has. He indirectly targeted the fans too for not showing the same support to former captains.

“The amount of support Babar and this team got from fans in the last three years, had they shown the same support to Younis (Khan), Shahid (Afridi), Misbah (Misbah ul Haq), these guys would have won you a World Cup,” said Kamran Akmal.

Kamran Akmal says had Pakistan fans supported Shahid Afridi, Misbah Ul Haq and Younis Khan for 3 years like they supported Babar Azam throughout, they would have won the World Cup for Pakistan which Babar failed too 🇵🇰👀 #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/SoujUOM17J

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) November 13, 2023

With several reports suggesting that Babar is likely to be sacked as the team’s captain, Akmal stated that the batter should choose between captaincy and batting. He also advocated for different captains for different formats.

“He has to make up his mind. What the Pakistan Cricket Board decides is something different. But he has to realise that captaining the team and being the main batsman is not everyone’s cup of tea.

“I think we need to have separate captains for red and white-ball formats,” said Akmal.

The post ‘Had Shahid, Misbah Got Same Support…’ – Kamran Akmal Blasts Fans For Supporting Babar Azam appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan cricketer Aaqib Javed lashed out at Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for Pakistan’s flop show in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals and was knocked out of the tournament after winning just four out of their nine league matches.

Aaqib slammed Babar and said that Shaheen Shah Afridi should replace him as Pakistan’s captain. Aaqib cited the example of Virat Kohli as a captain and said that Babar, like Kohli, has not won any major tournament.

“They are saying ‘Oh don’t say anything to Babar’. If he is a good captain, has he won anything at any level? You can’t make a captain. It’s either he is a captain or he is not. Virat Kohli was captain for so long, but has he won anything?” said Javed on SUNO NEWS.

Aaqib Javed called Rohit Sharma a good captain because of his five IPL titles as captain. Rohit has also won two Asia Cups as captain of the Indian Cricket Team. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has a good record as a captain but still, he was somehow not able to win any multi-nation tournament as India’s captain.

“Rohit Sharma is a good captain because he has won five titles in the IPL. Kohli has done nothing in the IPL nor with the national team. The same is true with Babar, he has not won a single trophy in PSL nor with the senior team,” added Javed.

Aaqib Javed cited Sarfaraz Ahmed’s achievements as captain and compared him to Babar Azam’s not-very-magnificent record as Pakistan’s captain. Babar Azam has never even won a PSL trophy as captain and has failed to win any multi-nation tournament as Pakistan’s captain.

“Sarfaraz won the U-19 World Cup in 2006, and then the Champions Trophy in 2017. he led Quetta to the tile in the PSL. Has Babar at any stage shown any glimpse of a good captain? Shaheen has won two titles in the PSL. We have picked the entire team from the PSL but not the captain. We must change the captain and Babar must realise has he done justice to the captaincy,” said Aqib on SUNO NEWS.

Aaqib Javed Recalls When He Was Lynched By A Mob After The 1996 World Cup

Aaqib Javed also recalled a horrific incident when he was almost lynched by a mob after returning to his country following a defeat against India in the 1996 World Cup quarter-finals. Aaqib said that the players these days are lucky as they get away with mere words of criticism. He revealed that he was hit with eggs and tomatoes after his return to Pakistan after the 1996 World Cup.

“Now, we can’t even criticize this team after their poor display in the World Cup. They are lucky. After the 1996 World Cup what happened to me was a horrible experience. We were scared when we left India,” Aaqib added.

“At the airport, even security people were not there to help us out. We were not sure how we would reach home. Stones were pelted at my house, mob tried to burn my house down. I was hit with eggs and tomatoes on the head,” recalled Javed.

Aaqib, a member of the 1996 World Cup team, said that he was scared to death after a mob tried to lynch him after his arrival in Pakistan.

“Our bus stopped. I stepped out of it and, I saw people running towards me. The bus driver started the bus. I was standing there with my bag and started running. Suddenly, a Jeep came, four people pushed me inside and I thought I was dead. Luckily, It was my cousin, who was in the police, he came there to rescue me,” said Javed.

Aaqib Javed drew a comparison to the treatment his 1996 World Cup teammates received and the treatment that Babar Azam and company are receiving after having an early exit in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

“In comparison to us, no one has done anything to this team. People are saying we criticize a lot. It’s nothing. We create a false hope before every big tournament but deep down we know that this team will finish fifth or sixth. They have proved this in the past three World Cups,” he said.

Pakistan lost four consecutive matches for the first time in World Cup history under the leadership of Babar Azam which included an embarrassing defeat against Afghanistan. Reports suggest that Babar Azam will meet the PCB chairman with regard to his captaincy future.

The post Rohit Sharma Won 5 IPL Titles – Aaqib Javed Attacks Babar Azam Giving Virat Kohli’s Example appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has proposed three potential leaders for the national team who could succeed Babar Azam across different formats. Amir emphasized the need for strategic changes in leadership to enhance Pakistan’s overall performance.

Babar Azam came under scrutiny following the Pakistan team’s disappointing performances in the 2023 World Cup. The cricket team failed to advance to the semi-finals for the third consecutive edition, securing just four wins out of nine matches in the tournament.

Imad Wasim Should Lead Pakistan In T20I Format – Mohammad Amir

In a recent World Cup special show on a local media channel, Mohammad Amir proposed a split captaincy for the Pakistan cricket team. Amir recommended appointing Imad Wasim as the T20I captain, especially with the T20 World Cup approaching.

“If you want to prepare any youngster for Test captaincy, Sarfaraz still has 2 years left in cricket, so appoint him as the captain along with a youngster as vice-captain,” he concluded.

The upcoming challenge for the team involves a three-match Test series against Australia in away conditions, followed by a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Babar is unlikely to lead the team in the white ball series, but he could lead the team in Tests.

Also read: IND vs SA: ” Virat Kohli Would Have Broken Sachin Tendulkar’s Record By Now…” – Mohammad Amir Makes A Sensational Revelation

The post Mohammad Amir Predicts 3 Players Who Will Be The Next Pakistan Captain appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan cricketer Azhar Ali has come out in support of Babar Azam‘s captaincy amid criticism over the team’s disappointing ICC World Cup 2023 campaign. Azhar Ali highlighted that Babar Azam should continue as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team.

Pakistan’s World Cup campaign concluded with a 93-run defeat to England, preventing them from reaching the top four and advancing to the semifinal stage. Babar’s failures with the bat have raised concerns about his leadership role, putting his position in jeopardy.

The Men in Green started with back-to-back victories against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they suffered four consecutive losses, including one against Afghanistan. They ended up winning only four of their nine games and finishing fifth on the points table.

Every Captain Was Given Time To Prove Himself – Azhar Ali

Speaking to a local news channel, Azhar Ali suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should continue with Babar Azam, urging them to engage in discussions about his mindset. He emphasized the importance of giving Babar the opportunity to prove himself.

“Babar Azam should remain captain of Pakistan. The PCB has already invested three years in him, they should sit down with him and ask him to work on his mindset/strategy. Every great captain was given time to prove himself and we should do the same,” said Azhar Ali, as quoted by a user on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Babar Azam faced challenges under the burden of captaincy pressure, scoring 320 runs at an average of 40 during the World Cup without securing any centuries. The right-handed batter failed to guide the team in crucial encounters in the marquee tournament in India.

Babar Azam Will No Longer Continue As The Captain – Basit Ali

However, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has revealed that Babar Azam will step down as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team, emphasizing that the change in PCB leadership will not impact this decision.

“It has been decided that Babar Azam will no longer continue as the captain. I am openly saying today, Babar (will) step down. Whoever becomes the PCB chairman will not matter. Babar is not the captain anymore,” Basit said, as quoted.

Also read: “Was It The System Who Asked Babar Azam To Bench Fakhar Zaman?” Mohammad Amir Punches Pakistan Captain In The Face

The post “PCB Should Sit Down With Babar Azam And Ask Him To Work On His Mindset…”- Azhar Ali appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Speculations are rife that Babar Azam might be sacked as the captain of the Pakistan team after the poor show in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

The Pakistan captain’s leadership skills have been questioned by several quarters as he failed to lead his team from the front in the marquee event. Not very long ago, the Men in Green were the number one side in the world and were one of the favorites to win the World Cup. However, they failed to live up to the expectations and finished their campaign in a disappointing manner.

The 1992 World Cup winners once again failed to progress ahead of the league stage. They finished their campaign with just 4 wins and 5 defeats to end up at the fifth spot in the ten-team competition. Throughout the competition, Babar Azam faced severe criticism for his captaincy. His poor performance with the bat only added pressure on him.

Kamran Akmal urges Babar Azam to leave captaincy:

In 9 games, Babar Azam managed to score 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of just over 80. Many experts have attributed his failure to bat aggressively as one of the reasons behind Pakistan’s struggles. The right-handed batsman was also accused of favoritism in the team. Reports also suggest that the Pakistan captain has fallen out of favor with top PCB officials.

And as the Pakistan batter star faces the heat, former wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has urged him to quit captaincy. Speaking at a recent event, the former Pakistan cricketer stated that Babar would have to give up captaincy if he wanted to excel as a batsman in international cricket.

“‘Babar Azam is my brother and it’s my advice to him to quit captaincy. If he wants to score 25,000 international runs and if our nation wants him to do it, he has to play as a batter only,” said Kamran Akmal.

'Babar Azam is my brother and it's my advice to him to quit captaincy. If he wants to score 25,000 international runs and if our nation wants him to do it, he has to play as a batter only' – Kamran Akmal 👀 #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/m7QwgVyEH6

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) November 14, 2023

Talking about the World Cup, India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand have qualified for the semifinals. In the first semifinal, India will take on New Zealand in Mumbai before South Africa and Australia lock horns in Kolkata.

The post “If Babar Azam Wants To Score 2500 Runs, He Should Quit Captaincy..”- Kamran Akmal appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Babar Azam received a lot of slamming for his poor captaincy in the ICC World Cup 2023. Pakistan had a forgettable ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. They lost five out of their nine matches in the round-robin league stage of the tournament, and finished 5th, a place below the top four, and hence were eliminated without reaching the semi-final of the World Cup for a third consecutive time. The team has received a lot of criticism from fans and pundits alike for the kind of cricket they played.

There are reports that suggest that the star batter would step down as Pakistan’s captain after returning home, and the latest developments now will further fuel these rumors.

According to sources, Babar Azam is set to meet Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf to discuss the future of his role as a captain across all formats for Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman had earlier said that it is not entirely his decision to decide the future of Babar Azam’s leadership roles. He will consult the PCB technical committee comprising of Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez.

“It is not my decision, there is a full technical committee in which Misbah-ul-Haq and Hafeez are present. We will move forward based on their advice. This decision is not the chairman’s alone; we will proceed based on the consultation of technical experts who are also cricketers,” Zaka Ashraf said.

Zaka Ashraf Praises Babar Azam As A Player And Captain

Ashraf also said that Babar Azam is a great player and a great captain and he would pray for his success. “Babar Azam is a great captain and a very good player. We pray that he succeeds and brings a trophy for Pakistan,” he concluded.

Pakistan had a flying start to their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign with two consecutive wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. They then went on to lose four games on the trot against India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa. The Men In Green then had a mini resurgence with consecutive wins over Bangladesh and New Zealand but a defeat in their final league game against England knocked them out of the tournament.

Pakistan will now gear up to tour Australia for a three-match test series. There are a lot of major steps that need to be taken in order to reform the state of affairs of Pakistan Cricket. Hopefully, they will rise from this horrific World Cup show and thrive to become better in the coming days.

The post Babar Azam To Leave Captaincy, Set To Meet PCB Chairman To Finalize Details- Reports appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Following Pakistan’s poor performance in the ICC World Cup 2023, internal conflicts and accusations have escalated within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). There are allegations suggesting players pushed for a pay increase, with the blame directed at them for placing financial gain above their commitment to national duties.

As per Cricket Pakistan, the national cricket team players are all set for a substantial increase in their salaries, including elite-level players potentially receiving a pay rise of over 200%. The report highlights that the players were firm in their stance for an improved pay structure ahead of their participation in the ICC World Cup 2023.

PCB Divide Centrally Contracted Players Into Four Categories

Players in the top category like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi are expected to see a substantial 202% rise in their monthly salary, potentially reaching 45 lakh Pakistan rupees, according to specific details reportedly disclosed by a PCB source.

Players in various categories are on the verge of significant pay hikes in their central contracts. B-category players such as Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, and Shadab Khan are expected to receive a 144% increase, bringing their monthly salary to 30 lakh PKR.

Players in the C category, such as Imad Wasim and Noman Ali, will receive a 135% hike, totaling around 17.60 lakh Pakistani rupees. D-category players, which include Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf, can expect a 127% rise, with a monthly pay of 11.32 lakh Pakistani rupees.

We Have Reached A Fair And beneficial agreement – Babar Azam

Babar Azam, a pivotal figure in the negotiations for revised contracts, hailed the deal as historic and expressed great satisfaction, highlighting that the agreement was fair and beneficial for both the players and the PCB.

“It is by far a historic deal. I am extremely happy and satisfied that we have reached an agreement with the PCB. It has been a lengthy and, at times, challenging negotiation process, but I believe we have reached a fair and beneficial agreement for both parties,” Babar said before the World Cup.

Pakistan Central Contracts List

Category A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shadab Khan

Category C: Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Noman Ali

Category D: Aamir Jamal, Arshad Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan.

Also read: PCB Set To Sack Babar Azam As White-Ball Captain, Local Coaches Likely To Replace Overseas Coaches: Report

The post PCB Leaks Central Contract Details On Pay Hike Dispute After Pakistan Players Return Home From A Disastrous World Cup appeared first on CricketAddictor.

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.

Also read: IND vs PAK: Rohit Sharma Breaks Kapil Dev’s Record To Become Fastest Indian Batter To Score A Hundred In World Cup History

The post “Babar Azam Was The Same Captain Who Made Pakistan…” – Kapil Dev appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The former Pakistan skipper opened up about the leadership of Babar Azam. He admitted that the right-hander made a lot of mistakes as a captain of the team and he didn’t groom well in the 3-4 years he has been the leader of the team. 

Pakistan’s early exit from the ICC World Cup 2023 has put captain Babar Azam under a lot of scanner. He has been criticized a lot for his poor performances as a leader of the team and also there have been various talks about sacking him from the post. 

Babar Azam’s Men suffered thrashing losses in the World Cup against India, Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa, and England and failed to qualify for the semi-final. The Men in Green struggled with both bat as well as the ball and ended with just four wins 

Clouds are hovering over the place of Babar Azam as a leader of the team. Many reports have suggested that PCB might sack him as a captain. Also, there were some reports which suggested that he himself would step down as a white-ball captain of the team. 

Shahid Afridi said that when he raised questions over Babar Azam’s captaincy, people criticized him but they need to realize that he didn’t step up. He admitted that the right-hander is good and he wanted him to be a good captain but that didn’t happen. Speaking during an event, he explained: 

“I am a big fan of Babar and so are many others. People criticized me for criticizing Babar’s captaincy (aap Babar ki kaptani ke piche pade hain). Babar has always been like a younger brother to me. I wanted Babar to be on the list of top captains. He has been captaining for 3-4 years. During this period, there was never a sword hanging over his captaincy.” 

We have seen a lot of mistakes – Shahid Afridi on Babar Azam’s captaincy 

Shahid Afridi further went on to say that they all expected him to prove himself as a leader but that didn’t happen. He while highlighting the role of a leader admitted that Babar Azam made a lot of mistakes. He elaborated: 

“We all supported him. We thought in 3-4 years his grooming would make him better. He would be able to prove himself as a captain and a leader but that hasn’t happened. We have seen a lot of mistakes. Leader has to be strong. He has to take everyone along with him. A leader does not have one or two players. He has 7-8 performers, who take them together forward.” 

Babar Azam also didn’t have a great outing with the bat in the ICC World Cup 2023. He scored 320 runs in 9 games and scored just four fifties.

The post Babar Azam Accused Of Creating A Lobby Of Players In Pakistan Team By Shahid Afridi appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has blamed Babar Azam for Pakistan’s poor show in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He is of the opinion that the system can’t do anything if the captain’s mindset is not right. According to Amir, Babar’s mindset is hampering Pakistan’s performance.

“Captaincy does matter,” Amir was heard saying on a show ‘Haarana Mana Hay‘ on Geo News.

The post “Was It The System Who Asked Babar Azam To Bench Fakhar Zaman?” Mohammad Amir Punches Pakistan Captain In The Face appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Although the Pakistan team did not perform up to expectations in ICC World Cup 2023, their skipper Babar Azam received a warm welcome from fans. As the Pakistan team returned home, fans greeted Babar Azam at the airport and also clicked selfies with them.

Babar Azam could not give his best in ICC World Cup 2023. The right-handed batsman mustered 320 runs in 9 games averaging 40.0. At a strike rate of 82, Azam slammed 4 half-centuries in the tournament but failed to convert them into a century in any match.

Also Read: “Pakistan Players Don’t Know Who Their Coach Is..”- Wasim Akram

Watch: Fans Give Warm Welcome To Babar Azam At Airport

When the Pakistan team reached home, fans welcomed Babar Azam despite the team’s poor show in the tournament. A video shows fans clicking selfies with Babar at the airport and also cheering his name. Have a look at the video below.

Warm welcome for the King Babar Azam at Airport ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Z2Ea1HLJKj

— SAAD 🇵🇰 (@SaadIrfan258) November 12, 2023

Meanwhile, many former Pakistan cricketers criticized Babar Azam for his average batting and poor captaincy in ICC World Cup 2023. Pakistan could only win 4 games and lost 5 out of 9. With 8 points, they finished in the 5th spot in the points table and failed to reach the semi-finals.

Moreover, Pakistan faced the wrath of fans when they suffered a shocking defeat to Afghanistan by 8 wickets. After winning the first two games, Pakistan lost four back-to-back matches against India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa.

Also Read: “Who Is Mickey Arthur Directing?” Wasim Akram’s Final Blow To Pakistan Director Of Cricket

Pakistan had a chance to qualify for the semi-finals after winning their last two games with good margins. However, they allowed New Zealand to post 400-plus total in the penultimate match. Pakistan did win the match but could not benefit from the net run rate.

In their final game, they had to outplay England by 300-plus odd runs to qualify for the semi-finals. However, the men-in-green lost the match by 93 runs. For Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan emerged as the leading run-getter for the side, with 395 runs in 8 innings. Among bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed the most 18 wickets for the team.

The post Watch- Babar Azam Lands In His Own Country And Immediately Runs For His Security appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan players Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim take an indirect dig at Babar Azam during a TV show. After Babar Azam’s poor show in ICC World Cup 2023, many former Pakistan cricketers have criticised and trolled him.

The Pakistan skipper played 9 matches during the tournament and slammed 320 runs at an average of 40.0. He scored 4 half-centuries in the tournament but had a poor strike rate of 82. The right-handed batsman also failed at his captaincy, as Pakistan could not reach the semi-finals with 4 wins and 5 defeats in 9 matches.

Also Read: “Pakistan Players Don’t Know Who Their Coach Is..”- Wasim Akram

Watch: Mohammad Amir And Imad Wasim Troll Babar Azam

During a Pakistan TV show, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir and spinner Imad Wasim took an indirect dig at Babar Azam. During the show, a fan asked them who is the batter they never wished to dismiss while bowling.

Without naming Babar, both of them said that fans would not be able to digest the name. However, fans were quick to understand their reference in the comments. Have a look at the video below.

"Aap jawab seh nahin payen gain"

Whom they're talking about? pic.twitter.com/4JntmLKRE4

— M A R Y A M🇵🇰 (@maryam_says56) November 12, 2023

Meanwhile, Pakistan finished in the 5th spot in the points table in ICC World Cup 2023, failing to reach the semis. Pakistan needed to outplay England by a margin of over 300 runs in the final league match. However, the team lost to England by 93 runs.

Pakistan gave a poor show in the tournament. They lost to Afghanistan by 8 wickets, which came as a big jolt to many cricket fans around the world. Afghanistan defeating Pakistan was also one of the big upsets in the tournament.

Also Read: “Who Is Mickey Arthur Directing?” Wasim Akram’s Final Blow To Pakistan Director Of Cricket

Pakistan also lost four back-to-back games after winning their first two matches. Their pacers failed to strike early, which helped other teams to post big totals. Babar Azam was at the centre of criticism for his failure with the captaincy as well as batting.

Notably, he was the No. 1 ODI batter before the start of World Cup. However, he could not perform up to the mark, which resulted in a lot of criticisms by Pakistan fans and former players. Meanwhile, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia are four teams that will play in the semi-finals of ICC World Cup 2023.

The post “You Won’t Be Able To Tolerate..”- Mohammad Amir And Imad Wasim Take Indirect Dig At Babar Azam Over Fan’s Question appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Mohammad Amir nearly used a slur live on a TV show while criticizing the selection calls made by Pakistan’s team management in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Pakistan once again failed to make it to the semifinals of the marquee event as they crashed out at the semifinals stage. Similar to the 2019 edition, the Men in Green left themselves with too much to do towards the end, ultimately finishing in the fifth spot on the points table. The Babar Azam-led side finished their campaign with 4 wins and 5 defeats.

They began their campaign in the thirteenth edition of the World Cup with impressive wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, the 1992 World Cup winners just could not sustain that winning momentum as the two wins were followed by four successive defeats. Although they secured victories in their seventh and eighth games, it did little to alter their faltering fortunes. In the must-win final league game, Pakistan suffered a 93-run defeat at the hands of England.

Mohammad Amir slams Pakistan team management:

Pakistan’s selection decisions in the World Cup have drawn criticism from various quarters, and Mohammad Amir also expressed his frustration with the same. In the process, he came close to losing his composure and was just a moment away from using a slur live on television.

Mohammad Amir was explaining how the team management preferred match-winners over even in-form players during the victorious Champions Trophy campaign in 2017. He revealed that ex-coach Mickey Arthur and ex-captain Sarfaraz Ahmed wanted him to play the final ahead of Rumman Raees who had performed well in the semifinal. Taking a dig at captain Babar Azam who has been accused of favoritism, the pacer said:

“I got injured. I had back spasms, and Rumman played in my place during the semifinal. He performed well in the semifinal. I became fit for the final. Mickey and Saifi bhai said, ‘Amir will play; he is our main bowler. We know he can win this match’.”

“Kya system ne kaha tha ki behen ki…..” he added.

Behn ki what Amir bhai🤨 pic.twitter.com/NLucxppro4

— Salman (@syedsalman97) November 12, 2023

Talking about the World Cup, India, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand have qualified for the semifinals. Hosts India will lock horns against New Zealand in Mumbai on November 15 before Australia takes on South Africa in Kolkata on November 16.

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Pakistan‘s World Cup campaign came to an end on Saturday (November 11). The Babar Azam-led side suffered a 93-run defeat at the hands of reigning champions England in their last league game.

While Pakistan’s chances of making it to the semifinals were all but over even before the game started, they were still mathematically alive. However, the slim chances vanished as soon as England opted to bat first. As the game progressed, it became increasingly clear that Pakistan would have to wait for at least four more years to reach the semifinals of an ODI World Cup, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2011.

A viral video from the game has captured the mood of Pakistan captain Babar Azam. The video shows Babar Azam apparently preventing his teammate Mohammad Rizwan from celebrating a wicket. The incident took place in the 41st over when Shaheen Afridi dismissed a well-set Ben Stokes for 84.

While Babar Azam made sure to acknowledge Afridi’s achievement by patting him on the back, he quickly stopped Rizwan from celebrating the dismissal. As Rizwan was trying to give Afridi a high-five, his captain tried to stop him in an animated manner.

Watch:

Babar saying "ziyada khush hone ki zarurat nahi hai" 😭😭😭😂 pic.twitter.com/RpSaUvZeD4

— Mehwish (@Mehwish474) November 11, 2023

Babar Azam & Co. suffer defeat:

Babar Azam and his teammates bowed out of the World Cup with a crushing defeat. Batting first, England scored 337 for 9 in the allotted 50 overs thanks to half-centuries from Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Ben Stokes. In reply, the Men in Green were bowled out for just 244 runs. It was Pakistan’s fifth defeat in the competition. The 1992 World Cup winners finished at the fifth spot in the points table with 4 wins and 5 losses.

“Yes, very disappointed with the performance. If we had won SA match, could’ve been a different story. But yes, have made mistakes in bowling, batting and fielding. We gave 20-30 runs extra. Bowled few loose deliveries. Our spinners haven’t taken wickets. That’s had a big effect. If spinners don’t take wickets in the middle over, you struggle,” Babar Azam said after the game.

Meanwhile, India, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand have booked their spot in the semifinals. First-placed India will take on New Zealand in the first semifinal in Mumbai on November 15 before South Africa and Australia lock horns against each other on the next day in Kolkata.

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Former Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram has questioned his team’s performances in World Cup 2023. Amid hopes of a complete miracle of Pakistan doing the impossible at the Eden Gardens on Saturday to make their first World Cup semi-final since 2011, the 1992 World Champions stooped to their lowest.

The equations were never in favor of the Men In Green, and their chances almost dashed after England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bat first against them, but while there were hopes that they could at least finish their campaign on a high, the side incurred a heavy loss in Kolkata by 93 runs. This was the first time ever Pakistan lost five matches in a single World Cup edition while losing four on the trot.

Pakistan’s forgettable World Cup show in India saw skipper Babar Azam immediately becoming the center of attention as fans on social media and experts blatantly criticized his captaincy. Babar’s performance as a batter was also heavily targeted as he managed to score only 320 runs in nine innings, which is 154 runs less than his breakthrough performance in the 2019 World Cup edition where he was in top form.

However, Former Pakistan Seamer, Wasim Akram lashed out at Babar’s critics during his conversation on A Sports and he blamed the faulty system of Pakistan cricket behind the disappointing World Cup show in India. He said that the captain was not the only one to blame for the poor show but it was the fault of an entire system where players don’t even know their coach.

“The captain alone is not playing the game. Yes, he did make captaincy errors in this World Cup and in the Asia Cup as well. But he isn’t alone to blame. This is a fault of the entire system for the last one year or more where the players don’t know who is the coach. You cannot make him the scapegoat here,” he said.

Babar Azam’s Batting Was Affected In This World Cup

Wasim Akram admitted that Babar Azam’s batting was severely affected by the pressure of captaincy. He averaged nearly 40 in the whole tournament and could manage to score only 320 runs in nine innings which was 154 runs less than his previous World Cup campaign in 2019.

“Babar is a star player and when he scores the entire nation becomes happy and proud. But captaincy has put pressure on Babar’s performance. He indeed looked stressed, both in the World Cup and Asia Cup. So he needs to learn how to handle pressure and think only as a batsman and how to get runs when he is there at the crease. It is easier said than done,” he added.

Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who was also a part of the panel, agreed with Wasim Akram saying that when the entire bowling unit and the middle-order batters failed to perform, then we can’t blame Babar alone for this poor World Cup show. He however blamed the team management, the selectors, and also Babar for backing these “out-of-form” resources.

“As a fan of Babar, we did expect that he would be among the top three run-getters. But in Indian conditions, he failed. And in terms of resources, all were toothless. If the fast bowlers and the spinners are not performing then Babar is not the only one to blame. But when it comes to leadership, everyone has to take the blame, whether it is the team management, selectors, coaches and Babar. It is because these resources were picked by them and you backed these out-of-form players,” he said.

Pakistan had a forgettable campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as they failed to qualify for the semi-finals. They were one of the hot favorites when the tournament started and had a good start with two back-to-back wins but eventually, they went off their track and are now eliminated.

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Mickey Arthur has thrown his support behind under-fire captain Babar Azam after Pakistan’s disappointing end to their campaign in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

A 93-run defeat against England, on Saturday (November 11), brought an end to Pakistan’s campaign in the marquee event. The Men in Green finished at the fifth spot with 4 wins from 9 games. The Babar Azam-led side began the World Cup with two wins before losing four in a row including a first-ever ODI defeat against Afghanistan.

Pakistan got back to winning ways with victories over Bangladesh and New Zealand but it was just too late to revive their campaign. And while they would have liked to bow out of the World Cup with a win, England inflicted a fifth defeat of the campaign on them. After scoring 337 for 9, the reigning champions bowled out Pakistan for 244.

Mickey Arthur backs Babar Azam:

Speculations are rife that Babar Azam is set to lose the captaincy after Pakistan’s dismal campaign in the ODI World Cup. And with the star batter facing the heat, he has received some much-needed support from Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s director of cricket. The former Pakistan coach stated that Babar Azam is still new to captaincy and should be backed while also emphasizing the need to become a team that constantly scores 300-350 in ODIs.

“We’re a real tight-knit unit. I get behind Babar. He’s very close to me. He’s a young guy who is still learning. He’s a very fine batsman, and he learns every day with his captaincy. He’s growing, and we have to allow him the time to grow.

“In order to do that, you make mistakes. It’s not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. As a group, we’ve made many mistakes, but if this group learns from them, we have the core of a very good side,” Arthur said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“What we’ve seen is that we’re behind the 8-ball. Our game needs to go to another level. We missed Naseem Shah – if we get him back, our bowling attack is good. But batting-wise, we have to become a 330-350 team. The teams that do that consistently are the teams in the semi-finals. We do that when Fakhar Zaman comes off, but we can’t be relying on one player,” he added.

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Babar Azam is reportedly set to lose the captaincy of Pakistan’s white-ball teams after the disappointing campaign in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the 13th edition of the ODI World Cup came to an end on Saturday (November 11) with a defeat against England. Their slim chances of progressing to the semifinals all but ended after England opted to bat first. The fifties from Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes guided England to 337 for 9. In reply, Pakistan were all out for 244 to suffer their fifth defeat in the competition.

Pakistan began their campaign with wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before four losses in a row all but ended their chances of making it to the semifinal. They did win two more games but never really had a realistic chance of progressing to the semifinal. The latest failure has only extended Pakistan’s long wait to qualify for the semifinals of an ODI World Cup, a feat they have not achieved since 2011.

Babar Azam’s captaincy in danger?

In the wake of Pakistan’s disastrous campaign in the World Cup, Babar Azam is in danger of losing the captaincy. According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, not only the captain but the rest of the team management, which includes head coach, Grant Bradburn and the team director, Mickey Arthur are also in danger of losing the posts.

There were discussions about it within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) even before the game against England. The chances of Babar Azam retaining the captaincy of the white-ball teams are very slim. On the other hand, some quarters have urged PCB chief Zaka Ashraf to show faith in the star batter for Test captaincy for the upcoming tour of Australia.

The PCB is likely to take a final call on the matter soon. A few reports have also suggested that Babar Azam may himself consider stepping down as the captain. A recent report stated that he talked with former PCB chief Ramiz Raja at the Eden Gardens earlier this week to seek his advice on the matter. Talking about the coaches, the PCB is contemplating a shift towards appointing local coaches instead of relying on foreign ones.

The post PCB Set To Sack Babar Azam As White-Ball Captain, Local Coaches Likely To Replace Overseas Coaches: Report appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan National Cricket Team players have repeatedly advised their skipper Babar Azam not to quit the captaincy after the poor campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Babar Azam’s position as the captain has come under intense scrutiny following the poor performance of the Pakistan National Cricket Team in the Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

The Men In Green were expected to dominate in both competitions considering their strong team and the familiar sub-continent conditions. However, they performed poorly and finished at the 4th and last position on the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage points table and in the 5th position in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table, with just 4 wins.

In their last World Cup 2023 group stage game, the Men In Green needed to chase down the target of 338 runs against England in 6.4 overs to overtake the Net Run Rate of New Zealand and seal a semi-final spot. However, they only managed to score 30/2 after 6.4 overs, to get knocked out of the competition.

Babar Azam has already spoken to his teammates, and the majority of them advised him not to step down himself – PCB Source

Meanwhile, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) source has revealed that Babar Azam has received the support of his teammates amid the criticism of his poor captaincy and he is being backed to continue as a skipper.

“Babar has already spoken to his teammates, and the majority of them advised him not to step down himself. He will come out with a clear line of action once he returns home with the team after failing to make the semi-finals of the World Cup in India. But, he will not step down himself,” a PCB source told PTI.

“He will most probably leave the decision of whether he should remain captain or not up to the Pakistan Cricket Board headed by Zaka Ashraf,” a well-informed source close to the skipper said.

Babar Azam, who shares a great bond with his teammates like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan, has left the decision of his captaincy on the PCB and the team management.

Also, the head of the PCB management committee Zaka Ashraf has already said that they will reach the final decision only after consulting the former Pakistan cricketers.

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Former Pakistan Pacer, Mohammad Asif has asked Babar Azam to step down from captaincy in all formats. Asif has named opener Abdullah Shafique as the best choice for captaining the Pakistan national cricket team. Abdullah Shafique is relatively new to the international circuit having played only 32 matches for Pakistan across all formats.

Mohammad Asif, while speaking in an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, expressed his opinion about Abdullah Shafique. The opener has shown great promise, and by further working hard on his shot selection, he could be very successful as a captain for a longer time- period in Pakistan.

Mohammad Asif was reluctant to the idea of making Sarfaraz Ahmed the captain for the upcoming test series against Australia. He said that there is no need to take reverse gears and Pakistan can think about the future from here on. According to him, Shafique is the only youngster who is capable of a leadership role.

Babar Azam Is Thinking Of Leaving White-Ball Captaincy

It is noteworthy that Babar Azam is reportedly thinking of stepping down from the captaincy role in white-ball cricket. Babar has sought advice and guidance on his future career, engaging in discussions with former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja and close associates. When Ramiz Raja was asked about his conversation with Babar Azam about his captaincy, Ramiz refused to answer stating it was a private conversation and he did not wish to make it public.

Under Babar Azam’s captaincy, Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the 2021 T20 World Cup and the finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup. However, Pakistan’s ODI performance this year in the Asia Cup and now in the World Cup has raised a lot of questions about Babar’s captaincy. Pakistan lost four consecutive matches in a World Cup campaign for the first time in their history.

Pakistan is virtually out of the World Cup as they will bat second in their last league match against England. In order to reach the semi-finals, Pakistan will have to chase the target set by England in 2.4 overs which is practically impossible. Therefore, Babar Azam and the team will pack their bags and depart for Pakistan saying goodbye to a forgettable ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign.

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Former Pakistan captain and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja, said that he felt really bad after meeting Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on the sidelines of the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

He met Babar on the eve of their last league match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against England.

“It was not a nominated meeting. I was doing a show for the ICC at the Nets. It was a meeting by chance. There were no specific plans for this meeting with Babar. Babar looked depressed and sounded frustrated because Pakistan has failed to qualify for the semifinal of the World Cup,” Raja told SUNO NEWS.

Ramiz Raja said the Pakistani players are hurt by the criticism they have been receiving from the media back home. Pakistan Cricket Board and the journalists back in Pakistan have had a negative impact on the players’ state of mind amid their poor performance. Ramiz Raja also revealed that some journalists attacked players on a city-based agenda which has impacted Pakistan Cricket heavily.

“Pakistani players have felt the reaction from back home. PCB and journalists played an important role but the majority played a negative role. It is difficult to cope in the social media era. In fact some journalists on the agenda attack players on a city basis which has damaged Pakistan Cricket a lot. We are living with a tribal mindset,” he added.

Ramiz Raja Praises Babar Azam For Not Losing His Cool

Ramiz Raja praises Babar Azam for not losing his cool with the kind of questions he has been asked in the press conference prior to their game against England. Raja said that if he was there in place of Babar, he would’ve given some harsh replies to the journalists.

“Babar is a mature captain with a good temperament who handles his anger very well. Pakistan Cricket Team is losing and people passing comments is unbearable. If I was in place of Babar, I would’ve given harsh answers in the press conference. I think as a critic we need to introspect,” said Raja.

Ramiz Raja later talked about Pakistan’s system of nurturing talents. He revealed that in comparison to India and Australia, Pakistan don’t have a system with great back-up talent and that they have to use the current set of players carefully. He urged some drastic changes in Pakistan Cricket.

“Pakistan Cricket has no system like India or Australia who have a great back-up talent. We are bound to utilise the current bunch of players carefully. There is no need for drastic changes. Pakistan Cricket needs time to move forward. I felt bad after talking to him,” he said.

Ramiz Raza hinted that Babar Azam talked to him about his captaincy but he refused to make that conversation public. He stated, “Babar shared with me but this was a private conversation between us and I don’t want to make it public.”

Pakistan have to chase the target set by England in 2.4 overs which seems practically impossible and thus the ongoing match between Pakistan and England is just a formality. New Zealand can breathe easy now as they are unofficially in the semi-finals and they will start their preparations for the semi-final encounter against India on 15th November at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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Former India opener Aakash Chopra expressed his disappointment with Pakistan ahead of their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 league-stage match against England at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Aakash Chopra criticized Babar Azam on his YouTube channel, Chopra said Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has not played well in the entire World Cup. Azam has managed to score 282 runs in eight innings in the tournament averaging at 40.29 with a strike-rate of 82.69.

“If we talk about batting, Mohammad Rizwan played well at the start but Babar Azam hasn’t played well in the entire tournament. Whenever he has played, he has played at almost a run-a-ball and we didn’t see any dominating knock, although these are good batting conditions,” said Chopra.

He went on to say that Pakistan does not have that firepower in its middle order. Pakistan has won four out of eight matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 where they lost four on the trot against India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa respectively

“Fakhar Zaman was there at the start, then he wasn’t, and he played well when he came back. However, by the time he came, Imam-ul-Haq was out. Abdullah Shafique is playing and if we see down the order, the might was not seen,” Chopra added.

Aakash Chopra Admits He Had Expected Better From Pakistan

Aakash Chopra said he had more expectations from the Men In Green, adding that they haven’t been playing modern-day cricket. Pakistan will have to beat England by an unimaginable margin if they have to secure a berth in the semi-finals.

“The truth is that it has not been a very good tournament. I will be very honest, I had more expectations from this team. Maybe my expectations were wrong because the way they played the Asia Cup, you could figure out that this team is not playing modern-day cricket,” said Chopra.

After their four-match losing streak starting against India at Ahmedabad, Pakistan bounced back with two back-to-back victories against Bangladesh and New Zealand respectively. However, with an NRR of 0.036. they have to beat England by a margin of 287 runs in order to replace New Zealand in the top four. Even Worse, if they are put to bat second, they have to chase the target in just 2.4 overs which is too far-fetched.

The post PAK Vs ENG: Aakash Chopra Expresses His Disappointment With Pakistan, Rips Babar Azam With His Criticism appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has expressed his support for skipper Babar Azam amid criticism of the team’s performance in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. Imad Wasim emphasized that personal attacks or severe criticism should not be directed at Babar Azam.

Pakistan are on the verge of elimination following New Zealand’s victory against Sri Lanka in the league stage match. The Men in Green need a substantial win against England in their last league-stage match to potentially face Team India in a semi-final clash in the event.

Never Go Personally With Any Player – Imad Wasim

In a discussion with local media, Imad Wasim expressed support for Babar Azam, emphasizing his role as the team’s leader. Wasim stressed the importance of avoiding personal criticism directed at any player representing Pakistan.

“Babar Azam is our captain, he’s my leader and my captain. There should be no harsh criticism or any personal attacks from anyone when he comes back to Pakistan after this World Cup. Never go personal with any player who plays for Pakistan,” said Wasim, as quoted by a user of X (formerly known as Twitter).

It Is Easy To Give Advice On TV – Babar Azam

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against England, Babar Azam highlighted that it is easy to give advice on TV but welcomed advice directly.

“I have been captaining my team for the last three years and I have never felt this way. It’s just because I have not performed the way I should have in the World Cup, that’s why people are saying that I am under pressure. I am under no pressure. I have been doing this for the last 2.5 or 3 years. I was the one who was performing and I was the one who was the captain. I was applying the same thing.”

“It depends how you take such thing. Everyone has their own point of view, their own way of thinking. Everyone is saying something different. He should be like this, or like that. If someone has to give me advice, everyone has my number. It is easy to give advice on TV. If you want to give me some advice, you can message me,” he added.

Also read: “If Babar Azam Has A Bit Of Shame Left, He Should Step Down As Pakistan Captain:” Imad Wasim

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Pakistan play England in match 44 of the ICC World Cup 2023 in Kolkata on November 11, Saturday. This is the final league game for both teams with semi-final qualification at stake for the Men in Green.

Pakistan’s win against New Zealand in the previous match keeps them in the contest right till their last league game. They are below the Kiwis on the points table.

The Men in Green have a few permutations and combinations to go in their favor. They will need the Kiwis to lose to Sri Lanka and need to win their match against England. There are reports of rain in Bengaluru. In that case, if the match does not happen, both teams will share a point each.

This will take the Kiwis to nine points from nine games. In that scenario, Pakistan will need to beat England get to 10 points, and qualify as the fourth team through to the semi-final. Afghanistan in their last game against South Africa will need to win by a big margin to surpass Pakistan’s net run-rate.

The odds have started favoring Pakistan since their win against the Kiwis in their last game. Ahead of that game, things looked tricky for the side. However, their win has opened the table up once again.

Pakistan played very positively in their last match against the Kiwis chasing over 402 to win, they were 200/1 in the 26th over and won the DLS method. Their batters will need to bat with the same intensity in this must-win game.

Also Read: Sharm Karo: Mohammed Shami Slams Ex-Pakistan Cricketer For Accusing India Of Cheating

On the bowling front, they should play with three spinners if possible resting one of their pacers. The Kolkata pitch offered a lot of turn in the IND vs SA game and the Pakistan team should learn from that game.

Pakistan Playing 11 vs England – ICC World Cup 2023, Match 44

Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar will open the batting for Pakistan. He scored an unbeaten 126 off 81 balls to keep his team ahead of the NRR and ultimately win the match for his side. His team needs another similar innings from him.

Abdullah Shafique

Shafique will open the batting with Fakhar. He scored just four in the last match. Overall, he has scored 336 runs in 8 games and is Pakistan’s second-highest run-getter in the tournament.

Babar Azam (C)

The skipper will slot in at three. He scored an unbeaten 66 notching up his second fifty of the tournament. He has scored consistently for his team and needs runs in this must-win game.

Mohammad Rizwan (WK)

Rizwan will bat at four. He has been Pakistan’s top-scorer in the tournament with 359 runs from 8 games at an average of 71.80. He has a chance to get to 400 runs.

Saud Shakeel

The southpaw will bat at five, He has not got consistent chances with the bat in this World Cup but has made the most of his chances. He has been a good addition in the lineup.

Iftikhar Ahmed

Iftikhar will slot in at six. He has been used as a pinch-hitter in the batting lineup and has bowled inside the powerplay more often than not. is big-hitting prowess will be useful for Pakistan.

Shadab Khan

The all-rounder will slot in at seven. He has scored 117 runs and picked up just two wickets from five games. At Eden, he will get enough support from the wicket to be effective.

Mohammad Nawaz

Nawaz can bat at eight. Plus he will be handy with his left-arm spin bowling. He should also get a lot of purchase from the Eden track. The southpaw has picked up just two wickets from five games.

Shaheen Afridi

Afridi will lead the pace attack for his side. He is the highest-wicket-take for his side in this World Cup with 16 wickets in 8 games at an average of 25.56. He went past 100 ODI wickets in the tournament.

Haris Rauf

Haris should bowl from the other end. He has picked up 13 wickets from 8 games at an average of 36.08. He picked 1 for 85 against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

Usama Mir

Mir should conclude the likely playing XI for Pakistan. He should be the third specialist spinner in the side in place of Hasan Ali. He did not play against the Kiwis but should be a handful against England.

Also Read: Chetan Sharma Predicts India’s Opponent For World Cup Final

The post Pakistan Playing 11 vs England – ICC World Cup 2023, Match 44 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Pakistan allrounder Imad Wasim has said Babar Azam should step down as the captain of the side after the World Cup debacle. Pakistan are on the verge of getting knocked out of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

While they are still mathematically alive in the competition, they will need nothing less than a miracle to make it to the semifinals of an ODI World Cup for the first time since 2011. The Babar Azam-led side is currently in the fifth spot with 8 points from 8 games. In their final league game, they will be up against England at the Eden Gardens.

Even a win against the reigning champions will not be enough for the 1992 World Cup winners to progress to the next round. While Pakistan can match fourth-placed New Zealand’s points tally, their poor net run-rate is set to shatter their hopes of making it to the semifinal. They need to win the game by an improbable margin of 287 runs to advance. In case Pakistan bowls first, they will have to dismiss England for 50 runs and chase the target in two overs or 100 runs in three overs.

Imad Wasim asks Babar Azam to leave captaincy:

With Pakistan failing to live up to the expectations in the ongoing World Cup, Imad Wasim has said Babar Azam should step down as the captain of the side. Speaking to GEO TV, the veteran allrounder said that a captain should step down after failing to deliver in the World Cup.

“When you lose the World Cup, you should step down; it’s a simple matter,” said Imad Wasim.

When the host of the show reminded the allrounder that Sarfaraz Ahmed had not stepped down after the failure in the 2019 World Cup, he said: “No player has done that. So, I’m saying this not just for Babar but for every player. If you can’t deliver as a leader, you should step down.”

Imad Wasim says Babar Azam should step down as Pakistan captain because he failed to deliver in this World Cup 👀 #CWC23 #PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/P4SKaCKiFz

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) November 11, 2023

Meanwhile, Babar Azam has said that he has still not given up on his team’s chances of progressing ahead in the World Cup. Speaking to the media on the eve of the game against England, the Pakistan captain said:

“It’s not like this matter is not in the back of the mind. It’s in our mind and we will try to do it. But we can’t just go in and start firing blindly — we want that but with proper planning, how we want to play the first 10 overs, then the next 20 — how we have to achieve that target.

“There are a lot of things in this, like partnerships, which player will stay on the pitch for how long. I would say if Fakhar is in the match for 20 or 30 overs, we can achieve that. We can do this and we have planned for this,” he added.

The post “If Babar Azam Has A Bit Of Shame Left, He Should Step Down As Pakistan Captain:” Imad Wasim appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Disappointed by the behavior of Pakistan Cricket Board’s behavior, Babar Azam is reportedly set to step down as the captain of the Pakistan team after the conclusion of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Pakistan’s campaign in the competition has been marred by a number of controversies. As the Men in Green were struggling in the competition, reports emerged that not all was well within the dressing room. The PCB had to issue a statement to deny the rumors. It was followed by a bombshell statement from former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif.

Latif claimed that the PCB’s top officials including chairman Zaka Ashraf were not responding to messages and calls from Babar Azam. Several reports from Pakistani media also stated that Ashraf was not happy with Babar Azam’s captaincy and is likely to name a new captain once the World Cup concludes. Pakistan are currently at the fifth spot in the points table and looks set to miss out on the semifinals.

Babar Azam set to leave captaincy:

According to a report in Pakistani news outlet The News, Babar Azam is likely to tender his resignation as the captain of white-ball cricket after landing in Pakistan once the World Cup campaign ends. He is reportedly seeking guidance on his future, consulting with former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja and people close to him. Babar Azam talked to Raza at the Eden Gardens on Friday (November 10) to seek his advice.

Raza is currently plying his trade as a commentator in the World Cup. While Babar Azam has not taken a final call yet, the report stated that his decision is likely to be influenced by the advice he receives, particularly from his father. A source also told the news outlet that the Pakistan star’s close aides are advising him to step down from leadership in all three formats.

The close aids want the star batter to give up Test captaincy as well ahead of the challenging tour of Australia where Pakistan have endured a tough time in recent years. Babar Azam wanted to take a final call on his captaincy while being in India but has now postponed it.

The post Babar Azam Set To Resign From Captaincy After World Cup: Report appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Babar Azam, who has been often accused of playing selfish innings, has said that he never plays for personal milestones and his aim is just to win matches for his side.

Babar Azam hasn’t performed quite well with the bat in the ongoing edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup. In 8 matches, he has scored 282 runs at an average of 40.28 and a poor strike rate of 82.69.

Speaking ahead of their final league stage match against England, Babar Azam admitted that he hasn’t been able to perform as per the expectations of fans, but made it very clear that he never plays for personal milestones.

“There were a lot of expectations from me and I couldn’t live up to them, I accept that. My goal was to finish matches, it was not to score fifties only but I still didn’t play for personal milestones,” Babar Azam said.

'There were a lot of expectations from me and I couldn't live up to them, I accept that. My goal was to finish matches, it was not to score fifties only but I still didn't play for personal milestones' – Babar Azam 👀 #CWC23 #PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/QpzgAsyWKd

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) November 10, 2023

Many people criticized that I played with a slow strike rate – Babar Azam

The 29-year-old further responded to criticism he has received for his strike rate, saying that he always plays according to the situation.

“Pakistan received a lot of love and support in India. I never had a target to score my fifties. Many people criticized that I played with a slow strike rate, but the situation matters to me. I always played for the team,” Babar asserted.

He will be next seen in action when Pakistan face England in their last ICC World Cup 2023 group stage game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 11. The Men In Green need to pull off a miracle in their last game to overtake New Zealand’s Net Run Rate and seal a semi-final spot.

Talking about the England clash, Babar Azam said that they have plans in place regarding their Net Run Rate.

“We have planned regarding net run-rate against England. However, we cannot start blind slogging from ball one. We have planned how to play the first 10 overs and what to do after that. If Fakhar Zaman plays for 20-30 overs, we can achieve what’s required,” Babar said.

The post Babar Azam Playing For Personal Milestones? Pakistan Captain Gives Smashing Reply appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Michael Vaughan has taken a hilarious dig at Pakistan’s situation in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Pakistan’s chances of making it to the semifinals look all but over after New Zealand’s win over Sri Lanka on Friday (November 9).

While the Men in Green can still equal New Zealand’s points tally, their poor net run rate is set to knock them out of the World Cup at the league stage. Pakistan are currently at the fifth spot in the points table with 8 points from 8 games. Their last league game is against reigning champions England and the Babar Azam-led side will have to create history to progress to the semifinals.

The Blacks Caps have a net run rate of 0.74. For Pakistan to reach 0.75, they have to win by 287 or 288 runs in case they bat first. In the case of bowling first, they have to chase down the target with 284 deliveries to spare. With Pakistan all but out of the World Cup, Michael Vaughan decided to have some fun at their expense.

On Friday (November 10), the former England captain, who has been busy trolling ex-Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez nowadays, took to X to post the qualification scenario for Pakistan and wrote: “Keep believing Pakistan… You never know..”

Keep believing Pakistan .. You never know .. #CWC2023 pic.twitter.com/E9AtS2n0tA

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 10, 2023

Babar Azam still not giving up:

While Pakistan look all but out of the ongoing World Cup, their captain Babar Azam is still hopeful of a miracle. Speaking to the reporters ahead of the final league game, Babar insisted his team has not given up hope of pulling off a victory over England.

“It’s not like this matter is not in the back of the mind. It’s in our mind and we will try to do it. But we can’t just go in and start firing blindly — we want that but with proper planning, how we want to play the first 10 overs, then the next 20 — how we have to achieve that target.

“There are a lot of things in this, like partnerships, which player will stay on the pitch for how long. I would say if Fakhar is in the match for 20 or 30 overs, we can achieve that. We can do this and we have planned for this,” he added.

The post Keep Believing Pakistan, Says Michael Vaughan As He Trolls Babar Azam & Co. appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan have an impossible task at hand if they are to make it to the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup. They are currently placed fifth on the points table having won four matches and lost four. Their NRR is +0.036 which is way lower when compared to New Zealand’s +0.743

Pakistan have more than one equation to overcome if they are to surpass New Zealand’s net run rate. Not only do they need to win. They need to win big and have to bring numbers into account.

The Men in Green must beat England by 275 runs to topple the Kiwis. In addition, if they chase, the target should be sealed within 2.3 overs. If England scores 300-plus batting first, the Men in Green need to reach the score inside six overs. Speaking ahead of the match, Babar Azam fired shots at Pakistan cricket experts.

“TV pe baith ke mashwara dena asaan hota hai . Agar mashwara dena hai toh number toh sabke paas hi hai (If someone has to give me advice, everyone has my number. It is easy to give advice on TV. If you want to give me some advice, you can message me),” Babar said.

Watch – Babar Azam Targets Experts Ahead Of England Game

Babar spitting facts & showed them their faces.

Unfortunately our ex cricketers bs baten karty on tv against him pic.twitter.com/Jf3oFML0yc

— Ibrahim🇵🇰 (@Ibro___56) November 10, 2023

Also Read: He Was Mistreated By PCB – Moin Khan Reveals His Son Azam Khan’s Hardships

Pakistan won their only World Cup in the 1992 edition while they reached the semi-finals the last time way back in 2011. The Men in Green won by 21 against the Kiwis on the DLS method. However, the Kiwis made up for it by winning big against Sri Lanka and almost confirming their spot in the semi-finals.

Pakistan qualification scenario for Semi Finals:

– Defeat England by 275 runs.

– Chase the target in 2.3 overs. pic.twitter.com/gA45eIimXF

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 9, 2023

Qualification scenario for Pakistan:

Score 300, restrict England to 13.

Score 400, restrict England to 112.

Score 450, restrict England to 162.

Score 500, restrict England at 211. pic.twitter.com/dv6GFKbyf0

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 9, 2023

Pakistan’s realistic chance is only if they score over 400 batting first and restrict England to 112, then its NRR will go above New Zealand. The SA vs AFG game will hardly have a bearing on the ENG vs PAK game as Pakistan needs to surpass almost impossible scenarios to win the match.

“When we came to the dressing room, just passed message we need good partnerships. Said to Fakhar if he plays 15 overs we’ll be ahead. Back of the mind we knew rain was coming. Full credit to Fakhar. We knew there was a short boundary and utilised it. We’re just trying to give 100 percent. You never know. We’re just going match by match” Babar said after their win against New Zealand in the last match.

Also Read: Rachin Ravindra Bags ICC Player Of The Month Award For October 2023

The post Watch: “TV Pe Baith Ke Zyada Asaan Hota Hai” – Babar Azam Slams Pakistan Experts appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has kept his hopes alive as he believes that Pakistan can still qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Earlier, Mohammad Amir also made a statement, saying that Pakistan could make 450 runs against England and then restrict them to under 100 runs to qualify for the semi-finals.

Babar Azam said that the defeat against Afghanistan and South Africa cost Pakistan the semi-final position. Pakistan lost to South Africa by 1 wicket and Afghanistan chased down the target of 283 set by Pakistan with a whole over to spare. These two losses proved to be the main cause of Pakistan’s current situation in the World Cup.

Pakistan needs to beat England by an unimaginably high margin in order to qualify for the semi-finals and Babar Azam believes that Pakistan can pull it off. A win by a margin of 287 runs or a target chased in 2.4 overs is something really far-fetched given Pakistan’s current form and the opponent is the defending champions England.

Babar Azam said at a press conference, “Pakistan has one remaining match to play. You never know what happens next. Pakistan should have won matches against Afghanistan and South Africa which actually cost our position in WorldCup.”

“We have planned regarding net-run rate against England. However we cannot start blind slogging from ball one. We do want hitting but we have a plan to play powerplay and building partnerships. Fakhar Zaman making a stay at the crease can achieve us our target” #CWC23

Babar Azam Is Not Having An Auspicious World Cup

A defeat against Afghanistan for the first time in the World Cup, losing four consecutive matches, and losing against arch-rivals India, all of these incidents make this a forgettable World Cup for Babar Azam and co. Apart from this Babar is also not having an auspicious tournament with the bat. Babar Azam has scored 282 runs in eight innings with an average of 40.29

The Pakistan skipper has scored four half-centuries in this tournament out of which three ended up in a losing cause. Babar Azam’s strike rate of just 82.7 in the World Cup is a big concern given the batting-friendly tracks here in India. However, Pakistan has somehow managed to win four matches in this World Cup without their top player being in form shows that the team is not entirely dependent on Babar Azam.

Pakistan will face England on Saturday and every one of the eleven members will have to give every ounce of blood and sweat in order to stretch that small ray of hope into something big. The chances of Pakistan qualifying for the semis are less than 1% but it is not entirely a zero and that is something worth fighting for.

The post We’ve Planned Regarding Net-Run-Rate – Babar Azam Still Has Hopes High For Semi-Final Spot appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Babar Azam has insisted he is under no pressure of captaincy as he faces the heat for his performance as the leader of the Pakistan team in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Following Pakistan’s poor run in the competition, speculations are rife that the star batsman might get sacked as the captain as soon as the tournament ends. Pakistan began their campaign in the World Cup with a couple of wins before their campaign got derailed. They suffered four defeats in a row including a first-ever ODI defeat against Afghanistan.

The Men in Green managed to end their losing streak by winning the following two games, but the criticism of the captain has not subsided. Despite being Bangladesh and New Zealand in their last two games, Pakistan are on the verge of getting knocked out of the World Cup. While they can finish level on points with fourth-placed New Zealand, their poor net run-rate is likely to result in them finishing below the Black Caps in the points table.

Babar Azam on captaincy:

With Pakistan underperforming in the World Cup, Babar Azam has been facing the heat. There have been calls from several quarters to sack the star batsman as the captain of the side. Several media reports also suggest that he is likely to be sacked as the captain as soon as he lands in Pakistan. Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is likely to replace him as the Test captain ahead of the forthcoming Australia tour.

And while only time will reveal Babar Azam’s fate, the Pakistan captain is not bothered at all by the reports and rumors. Speaking ahead of Pakistan’s last league game in the World Cup, the right-handed batsman said that he never really felt the pressure of captaincy and that he is only focused on the upcoming game for now.

“I am a captain of Pakistan since last three years. I never felt pressure of captaincy. There is no pressure of captaincy on me. People are talking about my captaincy but I have not given below average performance in World Cup,” Babar Azam told the media.

“PCB will discuss regarding my captaincy once World Cup ends and we go back to Pakistan because for now I am only focused on the remaining league match in this World Cup,” he added.

The post “I’m Captain Of Pakistan For Last 3 Years..”- Babar Azam Drops Bombshell Revelation On His Future As Pakistan Captain appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The semi-final qualification scenario of the Pakistan National Cricket Team took a massive hit following the crushing victory of the New Zealand National Cricket Team over the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team on Thursday, November 9.

The Black Caps dominated and earned a good 5-wicket win over the Lankan Lions. Bowling first, they bundled out the Kusal Mendis & Co. for 171 and then completed the run-chase in 23.2 overs to seal the win and more or less the final semi-final spot.

The Men In Green are currently in the fifth position on the Points Table with 4 wins and 4 losses in 8 matches. They have a positive Net Run Rate of +0.036, but it isn’t enough for them to seal a place in the knockouts. Here’s the complete table:

Pakistan started off their tournament on high, thoroughly winning back-to-back matches. But after that, they went on a 4-match losing streak, which jeopardized their semi-final chances.

The Babar Azam & Co. will play their last group stage game against struggling England in the 44th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 11.

Can Pakistan Still Qualify For Semi-Finals?

If the Pakistan National Cricket Team want to set up a semi-final clash with the India National Cricket Team, they need the “qudrat ka nizam” to strike at full force.

Assuming they bat first and score 300, Pakistan would need to restrict England to 13 and win the match by 287 runs to move into the top four. If they score 350, they need to bowl out the Jos Buttler-led side for 63 and win by 287 runs.

Also, if somehow Pakistan post a mammoth total of 400 runs on the board, they need to bowl out the Three Lions for 112 runs and register a 288-run win to become the fourth team to qualify for semi-finals after India, South Africa, and Australia.

In case, the England National Cricket Team bat first in the match, they will be disqualified without a bowl being delivered as they need to complete the run-chase in 3 overs. Talking about Afghanistan’s chances, they need to win their last game by 438 runs to go past New Zealand’s net run rate.

The expected semi-finals line-up is India vs New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and Australia vs South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The post India vs Pakistan Semi-Final Still Possible? Pakistan Semi-Final Qualification Scenario In World Cup 2023 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The Pakistan National Cricket Team veteran all-rounder Imad Wasim has shared his honest opinion on skipper Babar Azam, saying that he does normal captaincy and is not a good leader.

Under the leadership of Babar Azam, the Men In Green struggled in the Asia Cup 2023 and then in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The Babar Azam & Co. finished in the last position on the Super Four points table in the Asia Cup.

In the ICC Cricket World Cup 2022, Pakistan started off well by registering a couple of good victories but then went on a losing streak that put their semi-final qualification chances in jeopardy. The Men In Green need the ‘qudrat ka nizam’ to strike at full force to seal the last spot in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Imad Wasim recently shared his views on Babar Azam’s captaincy. He said that Babar is not a good leadership figure like Sarfaraz Ahmed and Younis Khan.

‘Babar Azam did normal captaincy, but he is not a leader. There are captains but then there are leaders too! Babar isn’t a leader like Sarfaraz Ahmed and Younis Khan,” Imad Wasim said.

‘Babar Azam did normal captaincy, but he is not a leader. There are captains but then there are leaders too! Babar isn’t a leader like Sarfaraz Ahmed and Younis Khan’ – Imad Wasim 👀 #CWC23 #NZvsSL pic.twitter.com/8A27xzRCQC

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) November 9, 2023

Wasim Akram Takes Indirect Dig At Imad Wasim

All-rounder Imad Wasim wasn’t included in the Pakistan squad for the World Cup despite several experts backing his selection, considering his experience. After being left out of the squad, Imad has taken over the role of a television expert.

This didn’t go well with the Pakistan bowling legend Wasim Akram, who took an indirect dig at Imad for not sweating it out in domestic cricket and becoming a television expert.

Wasim Akram, during a discussion on A Sports with Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, and Moin Khan, didn’t mention the name of Imad Wasim, but his comments made everyone guess he was talking about the all-rounder.

“The players who are busy with the Pakistan team are fine but what about others? A couple of them are sitting on television and they want to play for Pakistan. How is that possible?, Akram said.

The post Babar Azam Isn’t A Leader Like Sarfaraz Ahmed – Imad Wasim’s Blunt Remark appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Pakistan World Cup Squad 2023, Players List, Schedule, Team List. ICC World Cup 2023 commences on October 5 in India. Pakistan is one of the 10 teams that will participate in the tournament. Pakistan will be among the strongest teams in the tournament.

Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the Netherlands are 10 teams in the ICC World Cup 2023. All these teams will face each other once in the league stage as the tournament takes place in a round-robin format.

Pakistan will play a total of 9 matches during ICC World Cup 2023 before the semi-finals. They will play their opening game of the tournament against the Netherlands on October 6. Their last league encounter is against England on November 11.

Also Read: AFG vs PAK: Babar Azam And Imam-ul-Haq Create New Record To Become Most Successful Batting Pair For Pakistan In ODIs

In the previous edition of the World Cup in 2019, Pakistan failed to reach the semi-final. This time, they will aim for a better show. However, Pakistan reached the final during the T20 World Cup last year in Australia.

Hence, they are a strong contender to win the tournament. Since the tournament takes place in India, Pakistan will have favorable conditions which are similar to their home country. However, it is to be noted that Pakistan has not played in India since 2016.

Also Read: AFG vs PAK: Pakistan On The Verge Of Reclaiming Number One Spot In ICC ODI Ranking

Pakistan won the ODI World Cup title only once in the 1992 edition. In that edition, Pakistan crushed England in the final to lift the trophy. Below we take a glance at the Pakistan squad and schedule for ICC WC 2023.

Pakistan World Cup Schedule

ICC World Cup 2023 will be played in a round-robin format. Pakistan will play a total of 9 games during the league of the tournament- colliding with each team once.

Pakistan will play their opening match against the Netherlands on October 6. The men-in-green will play their final match of the league stage against England on November 11. Below is the Pakistan WC 2023 schedule.

Pakistan World Cup Squad 2023

Pakistan is yet to announce their squad for the World Cup. However, their squad will be quite similar to the Asia Cup 2023 squad, which they named a few weeks ago.

Babar Azam will be the skipper of the team during the tournament. Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Shadab Khan will be a few key names in their squad. Below we take a glance at Pakistan’s probable squad for ICC WC 2023.

Also Read: AFG vs PAK: Iftikhar Ahmed Taunts Fazalhaq Farooqi And Afghanistan After Pakistan’s Thrilling Win

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023:  Babar Azam (C), Shadab Khan (VC), Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

The post Pakistan World Cup Squad 2023, Players List, Schedule, Team List appeared first on CricketAddictor.