Babar Azam "I don't want to be a dummy captain"

[Ahson8]

Good stuff from Babar. I like the swagger.

If you're gonna get blamed for the losses, you should be the one selecting the team.

Yeah I agree, even though I don't agree with some of the players Babar wanted.

What's your opinion on Wasim waisay?

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Yeah I agree, even though I don't agree with some of the players Babar wanted.

What's your opinion on Wasim waisay?

I don't like him. He plays favourites.

 

[Ahson8]

I don't like him. He plays favourites.

Really ?

Think he has a few favourites, but I think he does have far more vision than others we have tried and prefers youngsters over seniors.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Really ?

Think he has a few favourites, but I think he does have far more vision than others we have tried and prefers youngsters over seniors.

Inzi gave plenty of youngsters chances.

 

[Ahson8]

Inzi gave plenty of youngsters chances.

Inzi was good. Misbah was terrible and so were the ones before Inzi.

Only time will tell but I feel Wasim has the potential to be better than Inzi. He identified a lot of youngsters in his coaching stint at Northern too.

 

[street cricketer]

I'll be brutally honest here. Nobody in Pakistan has any semblance of idea how to run cricket. Babar has more cricketing sense than anyone else involved in the PCB. Only in Pakistan would you see a bunch of random teenagers get selected to spearhead the pace attack of the country on a tour to Australia or someone like Haris Rauf get selected for the test squad through his exploits in the BBL.

I had to double check if I was reading Dahani's name in the T20 squad or test squad. I knew he was having a good PSL, so thought he must have made the T20 squad but the test squad really..Even if he had been having a good first class season, I'm not sure if one good season is good enough to get selected in the test squad. I still remember reading news about Naseem, Hasnain, Musa, etc., getting selected in the test squad to Australia. I was like "what are these selectors smoking..Are they expecting them to bounce out the Aussies or something like the West Indies quartet..". That went about as well as what you'd expect when throwing a bunch of rookies against the Aussies in their home.

People here often talk about what the PCB should learn from the BCCI. The single biggest thing that the PCB should learn from the BCCI is the player pathway. There's a clear pathway that each player has to graduate through to make the Indian team. U19s cricket -> Ranji trophy -> Duleep trophy, Irani trophy -> India 'A' side -> India. Someone like Kartik Tyagi, who was the stand out pacer in the last U19 tournament would never make his debut in a million years until he graduates through all these stages with success which is why he never made his debut despite so many injuries in the tour to Australia. And I'm pretty sure he won't debut till he turns at least 24 and goes through the grind in domestic cricket maturing as a player. It is why someone like Siraj was able to make his debut and look international cclass straight away because he aced through all the stages in the pathway I mentioned above. Similarly you'll never see someone like Riley Meredith or Billy Stanlake making his test debut for Australia just because he bowls with extreme gas in the BBL. Meredith has players like Pattinson, Neser, Bird, Steketee, Abbott and some more ahead of him in the queue to make the Australian test team.

I don't like to use the word "talent", I think it's a word overused by those in unmeritorious systems to justify their failures. I don't believe any one particular country is blessed with high "talent". It's all about how you groom players and one thing Pakistan struggles with is in grooming its young players. Babar realises this and wants to make the Pakistani team professional. He doesn't want to lose young players making debuts when they're clearly not ready and getting lost in the wilderness. But he has to operate in an unprofessional system and there in lies his obstacles. Whether he manages to clean the system or becomes just another casualty to the system remains to be seen.

 

[Saj]

Well it was a dummy press conference by Babar Azam today.

I have it on very good authority that he was told exactly what to say by PCB.

 

[shamaan]

Except Haris for ODIs and Ghulam for tests being dropped rest I see are good selections

Babar like a child simply cries to get his senior players to help him with captaincy otherwise he looks doomed in on-field captaincy.

Saud shakeel is a like for like replacement for haris so no issues with that

 

[Nado_]

Haris Sohail was doing well in Odis.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Saud shakeel is a like for like replacement for haris so no issues with that

Haris Sohail was doing good in ODIs... His poor test and t20 form took his place in ODIs...

Moreover his bowling is very much underused... He should be bowling 5-6 overs every ODI, he will help the team balance to add one more batsman.. I know Saud shakeel can also bowl but how effective he can be is a question

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Well it was a dummy press conference by Babar Azam today.

I have it on very good authority that he was told exactly what to say by PCB.

Thats good from PCB... Lately he is crying like a child on selection matters, and I also suspect it was Misbah who is behind Babar crying.. I think Misbah would be furious to see Ifthikar getting dropped..

Misbah relatively given a young side to coach which is out of ordinary for the senior lover..

 

[shamaan]

Haris Sohail was doing good in ODIs... His poor test and t20 form took his place in ODIs...

Moreover his bowling is very much underused... He should be bowling 5-6 overs every ODI, he will help the team balance to add one more batsman.. I know Saud shakeel can also bowl but how effective he can be is a question

Yes but that was like 1 year ago.i have seen haris bowl and hes decent enough for 6th bowling option but i comment on saud in terms of bowling as i havent seen him bowl.

The only edge haris has is that he can hit sixes.saud relies on pure timing and skill

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Wasim on reports of rift between Babar Azam and him:

PakPassion.net: There were reports that Babar Azam was unhappy with the squad that was selected for the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Can you give your side of the story regarding this issue?

Mohammad Wasim: It wasn’t how it was reported. We followed the procedures and we had meetings. I was in Lahore for 3 days and I had several, long meetings with Babar and Misbah and we came up with the squad. Obviously, there are discussions and debates but there were no disagreements over 10 or 11 players as I read. Everything is fine between us.


PakPassion.net: Who has the final say on the selection of the squad, you, the Captain or the Head Coach?

Mohammad Wasim: Team selection is a result of brain storming and teamwork between the selectors and other stakeholders and Alhamdulillah 99.99% of the time we are on the same page but there can be some discussions and healthy debates like there should be and in that case I have to make a final call or decision considering various factors, combinations and short to long-term deals. For example, we spoke about the Twenty20 openers and the captain wanted Fakhar Zaman and Sharjeel Khan and that’s who we gave him. We will always try to compromise with the captain and coach.

 

[Saj]

Nothing from Babar or his management saying any of what I wrote and put in the public domain was factually incorrect.

 

[CricketingMinds]

Nothing from Babar or his management saying any of what I wrote and put in the public domain was factually incorrect.

So you are suggesting that perhaps Babar IS a Dummy captain even thou he may cry out loud saying he is not?

 

[Saj]

So you are suggesting that perhaps Babar IS a Dummy captain even thou he may cry out loud saying he is not?

He won't want to admit it, but I'm afraid that's what he is at the moment.

Others are running the show.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

He won't want to admit it, but I'm afraid that's what he is at the moment.

Others are running the show.

Misbah and Waqar are two big for Babar to oppose. He will be dummy until there is a change of management.

Misbah and Waqar are terrible when it comes to team selection or building a team on long term goal.

Remember how Haider ali got his chance in T20 and made the 50.

Misbah - hesitant, insecure , defensive mindset
Waqar - inconsistent , intolerance , chop and change every game mindset

Both are serious killers for a team to run, asking for destruction and demoralising environment

 

[CricketingMinds]

He won't want to admit it, but I'm afraid that's what he is at the moment.

Others are running the show.

What do you think needs to happen to change that?

 

[Saj]

Well confirmation from Waqar today that Misbah is running the show when it comes to team selection, and the rest of them just give him suggestions.

 

[daytrader]

Wouldnt be surprised to see Misbah-Waqar playing politics again, absolutely toxic individuals.

Oh bhai what politics have they played. PCT has mostly been controversy free since Misbah's been at the helm.

 

[daytrader]

Misbah and Waqar are two big for Babar to oppose. He will be dummy until there is a change of management.

Misbah and Waqar are terrible when it comes to team selection or building a team on long term goal.

Remember how Haider ali got his chance in T20 and made the 50.

Misbah - hesitant, insecure , defensive mindset
Waqar - inconsistent , intolerance , chop and change every game mindset

Both are serious killers for a team to run, asking for destruction and demoralising environment

Players don't seem demoralized, in fact the team seems to be gelling nicely with players backing each other openly I.e. Babar praising Rizwan and vice versa.

Btw Haider is still playing so not sure what you're trying to say. It's not a destructive environment as you're making it seem

 

[Yasir_ch]

That misbah is ruining Pakistan cricket since the day he started playing for Pakistan.The worst thing ever happened to Pakistan cricket.koi taan kuj Karo.Kick him out.

 

[Farabi]

I'll be brutally honest here. Nobody in Pakistan has any semblance of idea how to run cricket. Babar has more cricketing sense than anyone else involved in the PCB. Only in Pakistan would you see a bunch of random teenagers get selected to spearhead the pace attack of the country on a tour to Australia or someone like Haris Rauf get selected for the test squad through his exploits in the BBL.

I had to double check if I was reading Dahani's name in the T20 squad or test squad. I knew he was having a good PSL, so thought he must have made the T20 squad but the test squad really..Even if he had been having a good first class season, I'm not sure if one good season is good enough to get selected in the test squad. I still remember reading news about Naseem, Hasnain, Musa, etc., getting selected in the test squad to Australia. I was like "what are these selectors smoking..Are they expecting them to bounce out the Aussies or something like the West Indies quartet..". That went about as well as what you'd expect when throwing a bunch of rookies against the Aussies in their home.

People here often talk about what the PCB should learn from the BCCI. The single biggest thing that the PCB should learn from the BCCI is the player pathway. There's a clear pathway that each player has to graduate through to make the Indian team. U19s cricket -> Ranji trophy -> Duleep trophy, Irani trophy -> India 'A' side -> India. Someone like Kartik Tyagi, who was the stand out pacer in the last U19 tournament would never make his debut in a million years until he graduates through all these stages with success which is why he never made his debut despite so many injuries in the tour to Australia. And I'm pretty sure he won't debut till he turns at least 24 and goes through the grind in domestic cricket maturing as a player. It is why someone like Siraj was able to make his debut and look international cclass straight away because he aced through all the stages in the pathway I mentioned above. Similarly you'll never see someone like Riley Meredith or Billy Stanlake making his test debut for Australia just because he bowls with extreme gas in the BBL. Meredith has players like Pattinson, Neser, Bird, Steketee, Abbott and some more ahead of him in the queue to make the Australian test team.

I don't like to use the word "talent", I think it's a word overused by those in unmeritorious systems to justify their failures. I don't believe any one particular country is blessed with high "talent". It's all about how you groom players and one thing Pakistan struggles with is in grooming its young players. Babar realises this and wants to make the Pakistani team professional. He doesn't want to lose young players making debuts when they're clearly not ready and getting lost in the wilderness. But he has to operate in an unprofessional system and there in lies his obstacles. Whether he manages to clean the system or becomes just another casualty to the system remains to be seen.

Completely agreed. Another big issue I’ve noticed is that selectors don’t look at format-specific data.
Players who do well in List A should debut ideally for ODIs. For Test, they should look at FC data.
Remember Fawad Alam was selected for T20s in 2008-9 lol

 

[Cozy]

That misbah is ruining Pakistan cricket since the day he started playing for Pakistan.The worst thing ever happened to Pakistan cricket.koi taan kuj Karo.Kick him out.

Honestly, bro results speak for themselves since Misbah started captain we became world number 1 and won ODI series in SA and India and when coaching we just beat SA home and away. Compare Misbah's results to how we were previously. Hes been a saviour for Pakistan.

 

[Hasan123]

Babar is the best player in Pakistan and most important. There is no need for him to bow down to Misbah. He should be more forceful if he wants a certain player selected. I’m happy with him as captain. But he should not just be happy to be captain. He should want to have more of a say in decisions and want to leave his mark on Pakistan cricket and leave us in a good place when he finishes his captaincy stint.

 

[daytrader]

Completely agreed. Another big issue I’ve noticed is that selectors don’t look at format-specific data.
Players who do well in List A should debut ideally for ODIs. For Test, they should look at FC data.
Remember Fawad Alam was selected for T20s in 2008-9 lol

Generally that's been true and I'll add that even if players are selected for the right format they're not played in the right position. I think this was mostly due to player power and senior players getting to play in their preferred positions. Fawad was one such player that was hard done by this approach. He's a top order batsman but they sent him in at 6/7 as a finisher. He wasn't a bad t20 player, infact in 2007 national t20 tournament he won man of the series, man of the final, best bowler and best batsmen! That's quite an accomplishment!

 

[Zaz]

Well confirmation from Waqar today that Misbah is running the show when it comes to team selection, and the rest of them just give him suggestions.

So babar is a dummy captain?

Hes head and shoulders the best player in the team and long term captain

Why is he letting misbah run the show?

 

[Savak]

Wasn't Babar fighting with Mohd Wasim over Squad selections a few weeks ago? If that's true then how can he be a dummy captain then?

 

[daytrader]

So babar is a dummy captain?

Hes head and shoulders the best player in the team and long term captain

Why is he letting misbah run the show?

Because Misbah is a genuine person and he's sincere to the cause of improving Pakistan cricket. His personality demands respect hence even our legends are willing to work under him

 

[daytrader]

Babar is the best player in Pakistan and most important. There is no need for him to bow down to Misbah. He should be more forceful if he wants a certain player selected. I’m happy with him as captain. But he should not just be happy to be captain. He should want to have more of a say in decisions and want to leave his mark on Pakistan cricket and leave us in a good place when he finishes his captaincy stint.

No doubt Babar is the best batsman in Pakistan. The biggest mark he can leave on Pakistan cricket is to score heaps of runs. To do this he needs to stay focused on his batting and leading from the front on the ground. He shouldn't get involved in politics and ego clashes. Let the selectors and coaches do their job

 

[Zaz]

No doubt Babar is the best batsman in Pakistan. The biggest mark he can leave on Pakistan cricket is to score heaps of runs. To do this he needs to stay focused on his batting and leading from the front on the ground. He shouldn't get involved in politics and ego clashes. Let the selectors and coaches do their job

Surely if hes leading the team out he should have total confidence in them and their abilities

He should be picking the players he wants or have some say in selection

Its his neck on the block if pakistan doesnt win on the pitch As the best player in the team and long term captain hes got the power to demand his choice of players

In most countries like england and india its the captain that runs the show not the coach Who are there as mere cheerleaders

 

[Hasan123]

No doubt Babar is the best batsman in Pakistan. The biggest mark he can leave on Pakistan cricket is to score heaps of runs. To do this he needs to stay focused on his batting and leading from the front on the ground. He shouldn't get involved in politics and ego clashes. Let the selectors and coaches do their job

But I'm sure he wants to have certain players selected. There is nothing wrong in voice your opinion more forcefully.

 

[shamaan]

It's good to see that babar is voicing his opinion on what players he wants but if wasim doesn't agree then babar should work with the players wasim has chosen.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Players don't seem demoralized, in fact the team seems to be gelling nicely with players backing each other openly I.e. Babar praising Rizwan and vice versa.

Btw Haider is still playing so not sure what you're trying to say. It's not a destructive environment as you're making it seem

Haider still playing lol, u look at that way.

Haider with the form he was in 2020 PSL fast tracked to national side to be benched forever till the last game of the tour comes.

Coaches like MA will make use of this talent and develop them into next Babar.
MA has a huge role to play for what Babar is now.

Moving on to the next tour he was bumped in all corners. For the short career he had so far , he has played from 1-5 bating positions and today at no.6

If an youngster is being rattled all the way through batting order not knowing what to do, he might soon even doubt himself that if he is a cricketer.

Such a destructive coach to unsettle any youngster and make them look like rubbish.
Abdullah shafiq well he might not even know why he is there in every tour and squad.

Misbah plays Asif Ali, danish aziz ahead of these two young batsman.

Haider under the current management will not be able to perform because he doesn’t know what his role is.
Similarly the same for Abdullah shafique, time will tell how hesitant , defensive mindset of Misbah killed these two promising careers.

 

[srh]

Well confirmation from Waqar today that Misbah is running the show when it comes to team selection, and the rest of them just give him suggestions.

So then why Misbah does not want to owe his mistake of keep supporting Asif Ali? Looks like he want to have his cake and eat it too.

 

[Ahmed216]

Babar is definitely a dummy captain at the moment. We all wanted see some new faces being given chances even at the expense of a one or two defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe. But Misbah I think is defensive and selfish he doesnt want to risk it

 

[Saj]

I'm pretty sure Babar would have wanted to see some new faces against Zimbabwe - but yet again they weren't given a chance.

Defensive tactics.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Didnt Waqar let it slip that it is indeed Misbah calling the shots? Babar should man and take his own advice.

 

[Saj]

Didnt Waqar let it slip that it is indeed Misbah calling the shots? Babar should man and take his own advice.

Both Waqar and Younis Khan stated that Misbah has the final say in the picking of the team.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Babar Azam will always remain a dummy captain. I can’t see one player in the current Pakistan set up that could stand up to the management when there’s a disagreement with regards to team selections, tactics etc. Babar Azam the captain, is a puppet on strings.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Both Waqar and Younis Khan stated that Misbah has the final say in the picking of the team.

Captains must have the final say no matter what. Even truly great coaches like Bob Simpson(who revolutionized ODI cricket) have been told to stand down by captains like Mark Taylor. Bobby needs to take a stand.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Malik also implying strongly that Babar is a powerless captain:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">...when your management relies on likes & dislikes especially when your cricket is just in surviving mode, then what else do expect as a nation? <br>On top of that when you don't let your captain take decisions this is bound to happen... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a></p>— Shoaib Malik (@realshoaibmalik) <a href="https://twitter.com/realshoaibmalik/status/1385626790341660714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Mamoon]

It is obvious that Babar is Misbah’s puppet. I don’t think he can overrule him or has any veto powers when it comes to selecting the playing XI.

Babar is the biggest star in Pakistan cricket. He can have much similar leverage and authority to what Imran had in the 80’s and what Kohli has today.

Unfortunately, Babar lacks star power and charisma. He has a meek, submissive personality and is happy to be bossed around by Misbah and the PCB.

 

[Saj]

Captains must have the final say no matter what. Even truly great coaches like Bob Simpson(who revolutionized ODI cricket) have been told to stand down by captains like Mark Taylor. Bobby needs to take a stand.

Well at the moment Babar doesn't have the final say on selection of the squad or the team.

What's the point of having a skipper if he is not being given the responsibility of picking the final XI.

 

[criclover2311]

It is obvious that Babar is Misbah’s puppet. I don’t think he can overrule him or has any veto powers when it comes to selecting the playing XI.

Babar is the biggest star in Pakistan cricket. He can have much similar leverage and authority to what Imran had in the 80’s and what Kohli has today.

Unfortunately, Babar lacks star power and charisma. He has a meek, submissive personality and is happy to be bossed around by Misbah and the PCB.

I dont care if Babar or Misbah runs the team, as far as decisions are made on merit and sound reason, I was expecting Misbah to persist with Iftikhar Khushdil, but he has dropped them and gave chances to Danish Aziz Haider Ali, I can see he is open minded and not what we're accusing him of. If Golden Boy Haider Ali and Danish Ali are not performing, is that his fault? What other options do he have other than Asif Ali if Haider is out of confidence? If Azam Khan would've travelled to zimbabwe and benched, sure we could rant on Misbah playing Asif Ali, but now?

Sure we know Misbah's defensive and backward mindset, but he appears to be listening to media or whatever has caused him to make changes, its working and he's not adamant and stubborn on his stance, I mean all our favorite players have gotten chances, maybe a series or a match late.

 

[asadee]

Well at the moment Babar doesn't have the final say on selection of the squad or the team.

What's the point of having a skipper if he is not being given the responsibility of picking the final XI.

Saj is that your observation or confirmed?

 

[Farabi]

I'll be brutally honest here. Nobody in Pakistan has any semblance of idea how to run cricket. Babar has more cricketing sense than anyone else involved in the PCB. Only in Pakistan would you see a bunch of random teenagers get selected to spearhead the pace attack of the country on a tour to Australia or someone like Haris Rauf get selected for the test squad through his exploits in the BBL.

I had to double check if I was reading Dahani's name in the T20 squad or test squad. I knew he was having a good PSL, so thought he must have made the T20 squad but the test squad really..Even if he had been having a good first class season, I'm not sure if one good season is good enough to get selected in the test squad. I still remember reading news about Naseem, Hasnain, Musa, etc., getting selected in the test squad to Australia. I was like "what are these selectors smoking..Are they expecting them to bounce out the Aussies or something like the West Indies quartet..". That went about as well as what you'd expect when throwing a bunch of rookies against the Aussies in their home.

People here often talk about what the PCB should learn from the BCCI. The single biggest thing that the PCB should learn from the BCCI is the player pathway. There's a clear pathway that each player has to graduate through to make the Indian team. U19s cricket -> Ranji trophy -> Duleep trophy, Irani trophy -> India 'A' side -> India. Someone like Kartik Tyagi, who was the stand out pacer in the last U19 tournament would never make his debut in a million years until he graduates through all these stages with success which is why he never made his debut despite so many injuries in the tour to Australia. And I'm pretty sure he won't debut till he turns at least 24 and goes through the grind in domestic cricket maturing as a player. It is why someone like Siraj was able to make his debut and look international cclass straight away because he aced through all the stages in the pathway I mentioned above. Similarly you'll never see someone like Riley Meredith or Billy Stanlake making his test debut for Australia just because he bowls with extreme gas in the BBL. Meredith has players like Pattinson, Neser, Bird, Steketee, Abbott and some more ahead of him in the queue to make the Australian test team.

I don't like to use the word "talent", I think it's a word overused by those in unmeritorious systems to justify their failures. I don't believe any one particular country is blessed with high "talent". It's all about how you groom players and one thing Pakistan struggles with is in grooming its young players. Babar realises this and wants to make the Pakistani team professional. He doesn't want to lose young players making debuts when they're clearly not ready and getting lost in the wilderness. But he has to operate in an unprofessional system and there in lies his obstacles. Whether he manages to clean the system or becomes just another casualty to the system remains to be seen.

This is a very sensible post. I completely agree.
Problem with Pakistan is obsession with "talent". Pakistan has decent talent as much as any other top sides in the word, as evident in our U19 performances. The challenge is development where we consistently fail because of lack of processes and merit.

Babar Azam is a great blueprint for what's needed:
U16 --> U19 --> U23 and 3-4 years of domestic cricket under his belt before his debut. He was ready on debut as evident in his early perf.
Yet, we keep throwing in rookies like Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Abdullah Shafique who should be nowhere near the team and should be honing their skills in FC and List A.


I also couldn't believe that Misbah/Waqar didn't picked the likes of Tabish, Ehsan, Waqas Maq, Sohail Khan who were ignored despite consistent perf in FC, and Naseem, Musa were picked for Aus tour. Where are these "talents" now?

Pakistan team is where MEN play who ALREADY have big boy pants. Its not a place to "groom" talent.

Performing players like Imad, Haris, Amir, Malik, Wahab were dropped.
List A/FC performers like Saud, Usman.S, Fawad.A, Hammad, S.Maqsood cant get a game.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Malik also implying strongly that Babar is a powerless captain:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">...when your management relies on likes & dislikes especially when your cricket is just in surviving mode, then what else do expect as a nation? <br>On top of that when you don't let your captain take decisions this is bound to happen... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a></p>— Shoaib Malik &#55356;&#56821;&#55356;&#56816; (@realshoaibmalik) <a href="https://twitter.com/realshoaibmalik/status/1385626790341660714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Malik squarely blaming Misbah for Pakistan's white ball woes. I agree with him completely. Bobby should not be a mute spectator here.

 

[Saj]

Saj is that your observation or confirmed?

I have it on very good authority that it is true and this was also confirmed and verified in the recent press conferences by Waqar Younis and Younis Khan.

 

[leg-side-flick]

Malik squarely blaming Misbah for Pakistan's white ball woes. I agree with him completely. Bobby should not be a mute spectator here.

How can only Misbah be blamed for loss??

Babar is equally responsible, so are Waqar and YK and yes, Players as well

 

[asadee]

I have it on very good authority that it is true and this was also confirmed and verified in the recent press conferences by Waqar Younis and Younis Khan.

If this is the case Misbah needs to be shown the door ASAP

 

[PerfectionPersonified]

YK is our batting coach and I guess he needs to shown door as well, I didnt see even 0.000000009% improvement in any batsman. What is YK role? He should be coaching kids U19.

 

[offstump]

I have it on very good authority that it is true and this was also confirmed and verified in the recent press conferences by Waqar Younis and Younis Khan.

What’s stopping Babar from taking a stand here? He’s captain in all theee formats, best player on the team. Is he afraid Misbah is goona beat him up? Or does he not have the spine to say no?

 

[The Viper]

What’s stopping Babar from taking a stand here? He’s captain in all theee formats, best player on the team. Is he afraid Misbah is goona beat him up? Or does he not have the spine to say no?

Agreed. He is the best player, he should have full authority. He said he didn't want to be a dummy captain, well that is what he is at the moment.

 

[Saj]

What’s stopping Babar from taking a stand here? He’s captain in all theee formats, best player on the team. Is he afraid Misbah is goona beat him up? Or does he not have the spine to say no?

It's about personality.

Babar is a new captain, he doesn't come across as someone who will stand up to anyone does he.

Let's see, there may come a time when he does actually stand up for himself, but at the moment he's not having much say in selection, although he won't admit to it.

 

[OMB]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar Azam first 4 Tests as captain:<br><br>Won <br>Won<br>Won<br>Won <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZIMvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZIMvPAK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvSA</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1391663366779949057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Abdurmirr]

Nothing impressive with his captaincy. Seems like he has just a simple plan of bowling certain bowlers at certain times with a certain quota of overs.

Boring and uninspiring

 

[Titan24]

Good going so far, lost only one series in his captaincy career till now and that was his first series as captain. Hopefully he continues to improve and work hard.

 

[shamaan]

Aslong as he wins series and Test matches that's the main objective

 

[OMB]

Babar Azam has to prove cricketing sense in his captaincy too: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq said that captain Babar Azam has proved his mettle with the bat since he broke into international cricket in 2015 but now has to do the same as the leader.

Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq heaped praise on batsman Babar Azam and hopes to see the superstar do well as the national team's captain as well in the future.

Misbah said Babar has proved his mettle with the bat since he broke into international cricket in 2015 but now has to do the same as the leader. Babar had a poor Test series against Zimbabwe with the bat, scoring just 2 runs from as many matches but his team's performance was clinical in both their innings victories.

"Captaincy is something that gets better with time. The more you face certain situations, the better you will be at it.

"Babar has a great cricketing sense, he has proved that in all formats with the bat already. He has to prove that now in his captaincy too. Hopefully, he'll do well in the future too," he said after the series win against Zimbabwe," Misbah said after the Test series win against Zimbabwe.

The former skipper and the current chief selector of Pakistan cricket also sounded satisfied with his team's performance in the Test series sweep against Zimbabwe.

"The performance in the Tests against Zimbabwe was also appreciable. There were some areas of concern and those were rectified - especially the openers. Fawad Alam also did really well. Encouraging signs for Pakistan cricket," he said.

Pakistan won the 3-match T20I series 2-1 and registered innings victories in both the Tests.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/pakistan-tour-of-zimbabwe-pak-coach-misbah-ul-haq-praises-babar-azam-1801679-2021-05-12

 

[MenInG]

Shoaib Malik speaking to ARY:

"Babar Azam is like a younger brother to me, he has played a lot of cricket under me and also alongside myself so I am aware of his nature; so when he does take decisions (by himself), I will know that straightaway, and I won't make any statements about it also"

"In the recent side that was selected, there were many cricketers who Babar wanted to have in his side; He wanted Imam, Haris, Imad, Amir, Wahab - but they are not part of the squad" [Not sure about why Amir mentioned as he has retired]

"So from what I know of Babar, these players would fit in the team combination that he had in his mind"

"Look there is nothing wrong with advice - everyone has their own opinions but the final decision on the selection of the side should be that of the captain alone because it's the captain who will fight it out on the ground with his team"

"Look at all teams around the world and wherever the captain runs the show, that team is on top; I have asked English players about this and they told me that the final decision on selection of the side is with Eoin Morgan"

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Shoaib Malik speaking to Badami:

"Babar Azam is like a younger brother to me, he has played a lot of cricket under me and also alongside myself so I am aware of his nature; so when he does take decisions (by himself), I will know that straightaway, and I won't make any statements about it also"

"In the recent side that was selected, there were many cricketers who Babar wanted to have in his side; He wanted Imam, Haris, Imad, Amir, Wahab - but they are not part of the squad" [Not sure about why Amir mentioned as he has retired]

"So from what I know of Babar, these players would fit in the team combination that he had in his mind"

"Look there is nothing wrong with advice - everyone has their own opinions but the final decision on the selection of the side should be that of the captain alone because it's the captain who will fight it out on the ground with his team"

"Look at all teams around the world and wherever the captain runs the show, that team is on top; I have asked English players about this and they told me that the final decision on selection of the side is with Eoin Morgan"

Who is Malik targeting here? Looks more like a shot towards Wasim than Misbah. Imad, Haris, Wahab were all present in the squads when Misbah was the CS, Wasim is the one who dropped them.

Although he recently said that there should be a different head coach for LOIs and Tests as well so that was clearly towards Misbah.

I don't know Malik personally and the guy is one of the smartest guys in Pak cricket in terms of influence, I think there isn't much reason for Malik to personally hate Misbah. Maybe the point where Malik says he wants to bat at 4 but it appears like Misbah is more comfortable with Hafeez at 4, that may have caused things to sour between the two, but I feel like Malik's dislike for Misbah is more on professional stuff rather than personal clashes.
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] can you please tell (When you're free) as to who is taking shots at whom at the present time in Pak? And Who does Babar confide in more, Misbah or Wasim?

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Nothing impressive with his captaincy. Seems like he has just a simple plan of bowling certain bowlers at certain times with a certain quota of overs.

Boring and uninspiring

His test captaincy has been pretty measured till now compared with Azhar (too docile) and Sarfraz (too twitchy)

In LOIs, yes he hasn't really been as proactive with the tactics as one would like.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Nice start to the captaincy. It will boost confidence of the young captain.

 

[Saj]

Shoaib Malik speaking to ARY:

"Babar Azam is like a younger brother to me, he has played a lot of cricket under me and also alongside myself so I am aware of his nature; so when he does take decisions (by himself), I will know that straightaway, and I won't make any statements about it also"

"In the recent side that was selected, there were many cricketers who Babar wanted to have in his side; He wanted Imam, Haris, Imad, Amir, Wahab - but they are not part of the squad" [Not sure about why Amir mentioned as he has retired]

"So from what I know of Babar, these players would fit in the team combination that he had in his mind"

"Look there is nothing wrong with advice - everyone has their own opinions but the final decision on the selection of the side should be that of the captain alone because it's the captain who will fight it out on the ground with his team"

"Look at all teams around the world and wherever the captain runs the show, that team is on top; I have asked English players about this and they told me that the final decision on selection of the side is with Eoin Morgan"

Well, Malik's another who has stated that Babar is currently a dummy captain who has very little or no influence on the selection of squads.

 

[MenInG]

Getting a bit silly for Babar - seems like everyman and his dog says he is a dummy captain. Not sure how he can convince others about the fact that he is his own man!

 

[fieldMarshal]

Babar azam, a terrible defensive captain

Babar azam as a captain has been nothing but a dispointment. seems to come across as a clueless scared rabbit caught between the head lights.

A good example of this is today's lords one dayer.

With pitch and the conditions offering both seam and swing to the fast men, he has set fields for bowling short of a length and not pitching it up. Even before the end of the power play the slips are gone.

With every boundary he changes his field. Has no confidence in his bowlers who in turn have produced crap. While good captains set fields for good bowling n not crap bowling.

All in all he is not learning and improving and eventually wt will happen is that babar azam the batsmen will also be down n out along with Pak cricket team

 

[zarak]

Babar azam as a captain has been nothing but a dispointment. seems to come across as a clueless scared rabbit caught between the head lights.

A good example of this is today's lords one dayer.

With pitch and the conditions offering both seam and swing to the fast men, he has set fields for bowling short of a length and not pitching it up. Even before the end of the power play the slips are gone.

With every boundary he changes his field. Has no confidence in his bowlers who in turn have produced crap. While good captains set fields for good bowling n not crap bowling.

All in all he is not learning and improving and eventually wt will happen is that babar azam the batsmen will also be down n out along with Pak cricket team

Mate sometimes it depends on the bowler, Haris Is bowling 3 long hops an over. How can one trust him

 

[Slim]

Excellent captaincy today, being praised by the commentators multiple time as well. Aggressive approach hunting for wickets.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

A captain is only as good as his team. With Haris, Fahim and Shadab as our 3rd 4th and 5th bowling options, you can't really put all the blame on his captaincy. Shadab though has bowled well today. Fahim hasn't done anything of note in ODIs till now(bowling and batting both).

Although he should have kept a slip in till atleast 15overs. But bowlers like Haris (hit the deck hard with short pitched bowling) and Fahim(mainly relies on incutters) aren't really the bowlers who can induce edges off a bat towards the slip cordon. Hasan and Shaheen have bowled extremely well.

Our team is so incomplete.

 

[Concerned]

It’s good Babar could use his PSL captaincy experience on how to stop the runs when the charge is on.

… If only he was the captain.

 

[Saj]

Let England off the hook a bit today.

Pakistan went into their shell when Gregory and Carse were batting together.

 

[Varun]

It’s good Babar could use his PSL captaincy experience on how to stop the runs when the charge is on.

… If only he was the captain.

Who is the captain of the PSL team Babar is in?

How is Babar not the captain of that team if he's Pakistan captain? / How is that player not the captain of the Pakistan team if he's in the team at all?

 

[Majid Khan]

It was always a bad move making the best batsman you have produced in 20 years the captain of the team, it was going to start affecting his batting sooner or later ..

It’s like a family with, 11 brothers all living together - 10 brothers sit, eat and play cards while the 11th brother (Babar) is the sole bread winner who works 7 days a week to pay all the bills.

And then abba jee decides that in his spare time that 11th brother should also do all the household work including cooking meals and cleaning /washing.

A bit unfair and asking for a bit too much from Babar.

 

[Mamoon]

You don’t want to be a dummy captain but you are a dummy captain.

 

[Concerned]

Who is the captain of the PSL team Babar is in?


How is Babar not the captain of that team if he's Pakistan captain? / How is that player not the captain of the Pakistan team if he's in the team at all?

The player with no central contract - Imad Wasim.

Babar always better as a shadow.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

It was always a bad move making the best batsman you have produced in 20 years the captain of the team, it was going to start affecting his batting sooner or later ..

It’s like a family with, 11 brothers all living together - 10 brothers sit, eat and play cards while the 11th brother (Babar) is the sole bread winner who works 7 days a week to pay all the bills.

And then abba jee decides that in his spare time that 11th brother should also do all the household work including cooking meals and cleaning /washing.

A bit unfair and asking for a bit too much from Babar.

We did the EXACT SAME THING with Shoaib Malik.
His batting was pretty good, matter of fact, he was the only one scoring. And then lo and behold, he was put on the helm.
And from there, it was nothing but a nose dive to his entire career.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Mate sometimes it depends on the bowler, Haris Is bowling 3 long hops an over. How can one trust him

Then why did they select him, what experience he has.. he was once a tullaybaaz t20 bowler. This guy was selected in the test team also which is . Hasnain on the other hand bowled well in the ODIs and takes wicket upfront with the new ball but he is played only in dead runners I don’t know why. He also took wickets in the practice game, still Rauf preferred over him. Today this pitch was offering for rauf (pace) style of bowling but he continued to pitch it short. Not sure what Waqar is teaching these guys.

 

[Saurav]

Rizwan needs to be the captain

 

[Saj]

I worry about the pressure on Babar:

Pressure of being the main run-getter
Pressure of leading in all 3 formats
Very little support around him

It's bound to take its toll.