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Babar Azam - T20I Captaincy Watch

saeed5646

T20I Debutant
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Not the easy start for him .lets see how he does against aus in upcoming t20 series
 
His squad selection will also determine where he is heading toward .idealy he should do following obvious changes
Fahim out amir yameen in
Shadab out usman qadir/Zahid mehmood in
Sarfraz out rizwan in
Dropped ahmed shehzad ,umar akmal and also don't pick either of hafeez and malik
 
Big test coming up for him!

Can’t wait to see him captaining the side!
 
Should be judged on his individual performance. Pakistan is a poor side and its ranking is a big drama.
 
His squad selection will also determine where he is heading toward .idealy he should do following obvious changes
Fahim out amir yameen in
Shadab out usman qadir/Zahid mehmood in
Sarfraz out rizwan in
Dropped ahmed shehzad ,umar akmal and also don't pick either of hafeez and malik

Let's hope the Akmal family don't threaten/force him.
 
Looking forward to see how he does, but we shouldn't expect instant results. Should be given a couple of years to prove himself.
 
There was no other choice. Sarfraz had become hopeless.

This might destroy Babar as a player though. Pakistan fans are fickle, and they were will rip him apart even if he is averaging 100 in all formats.
 
I can't believe people are unironically suggesting Usman Qadir for the T20 squad. He was beyound terrible last year trying to make it in Australia and clearly came back to Pakistan because he couldn't hack it. It would actually be hilarous for Aus cricket fans if he turns up in a Pakistan jersey.
 
The man he is replacing, has a stellar record of taking Pak to no. 1 and a record unbeaten streak, taking his PSL side to many finals (deservedly won this year) and been top 2 side for most seasons, plus has done very well for khi dolphins as well.

Babar hasn't proven himself at all like Sarfraz has in T20's, so I'm shocked by this decision.
 
Good luck Babar

Hope it doesn't bring a dip in his performance with the additional responsibilities.

It's not easy dealing with Pakistani fans, Pakistani media, and management.
 
No Way babar will have any say in selections he will just captain on field that will be it
 
The man he is replacing, has a stellar record of taking Pak to no. 1 and a record unbeaten streak, taking his PSL side to many finals (deservedly won this year) and been top 2 side for most seasons, plus has done very well for khi dolphins as well.

Babar hasn't proven himself at all like Sarfraz has in T20's, so I'm shocked by this decision.

same here..i jsut dont think this was the right decision before the t20 world cup..Sarfi deserved the chance to take the team to that tournament. Not so fussed about the test decision even though I disagree with it..

Babar doesnt seem dynamic or experienced...perhaps a format like t20 will help him grow into the role but after the world cup not before..

if he loses a series or two i expect pp to turn on him very very quickly..
 
His squad selection will also determine where he is heading toward .idealy he should do following obvious changes
Fahim out amir yameen in
Shadab out usman qadir/Zahid mehmood in
Sarfraz out rizwan in
Dropped ahmed shehzad ,umar akmal and also don't pick either of hafeez and malik

I doubt he will decide the squad.
 
The man he is replacing, has a stellar record of taking Pak to no. 1 and a record unbeaten streak, taking his PSL side to many finals (deservedly won this year) and been top 2 side for most seasons, plus has done very well for khi dolphins as well.

Babar hasn't proven himself at all like Sarfraz has in T20's, so I'm shocked by this decision.
This decision is taken at the best interest of the team. Sarfraz is clearly struggling with his form. He struggled against second string Srilanka bowling and now in national t20 cup against local bowlers too. He is the one to blame for it, when he was appointed captain sat relaxed that he is the captain for all formats and never was serious about his batting at all , also his fitness was really poor. Now after the CWC he was really desperate to keep his place int he side and trying hard to keep himself fit. His place in the team has become questionable which is very clear to him also. Right decision made by dropping him from the side
 
Babar should take it easy and don't put too much pressure on himself. He should treat captaincy same way he treats his batting.
 
People talking about Imad should have been appointed as captain. What exactly has Imad done to captain the side??? Plus he tenure as captain with Karachi Kings was a horrible one. There was no other choice than Babar Azam. Imad will fail miserably in Aus. Mark my words
 
This decision is taken at the best interest of the team. Sarfraz is clearly struggling with his form. He struggled against second string Srilanka bowling and now in national t20 cup against local bowlers too. He is the one to blame for it, when he was appointed captain sat relaxed that he is the captain for all formats and never was serious about his batting at all , also his fitness was really poor. Now after the CWC he was really desperate to keep his place int he side and trying hard to keep himself fit. His place in the team has become questionable which is very clear to him also. Right decision made by dropping him from the side

He didn't play much of a role with his batting previously either, but still led Pak to no. 1, countless series wins and broke the record of series' won.

One series loss isn't enough to overlook the many series' he has won.

Basically, a terrible decision.
 
same here..i jsut dont think this was the right decision before the t20 world cup..Sarfi deserved the chance to take the team to that tournament. Not so fussed about the test decision even though I disagree with it..

Babar doesnt seem dynamic or experienced...perhaps a format like t20 will help him grow into the role but after the world cup not before..

if he loses a series or two i expect pp to turn on him very very quickly..

Completely agree.

Sarfraz has built this team and led it to no. 1, so only fair for him to lead Pak at the WC.
 
He didn't play much of a role with his batting previously either, but still led Pak to no. 1, countless series wins and broke the record of series' won.

One series loss isn't enough to overlook the many series' he has won.

Basically, a terrible decision.

Yes how long do u think a non performing captain keep the ride going. Time comes when they need him he crumbles under pressure and didnt even look any confident. Losing 3-0 at home against second string srilanka side is sufficient enough to kick him out. Had he performed in that despite the loses then there is a point to retain his captaincy. Now when his place itself become questionable and rizwan on the other side piling up runs and looking for an opportunity made sarfraz desperately looking for runs and running for fitness. Rizwan gave nice kick at sarfraz place with those 2 centuries against australia.
 
Yes how long do u think a non performing captain keep the ride going. Time comes when they need him he crumbles under pressure and didnt even look any confident. Losing 3-0 at home against second string srilanka side is sufficient enough to kick him out. Had he performed in that despite the loses then there is a point to retain his captaincy. Now when his place itself become questionable and rizwan on the other side piling up runs and looking for an opportunity made sarfraz desperately looking for runs and running for fitness. Rizwan gave nice kick at sarfraz place with those 2 centuries against australia.

I don't think you understand, that his performance as a captain has been phenomenal.

Captaincy is also a skill and Sarfraz has proven to be the best in T20's - one series loss won't change that fact.
 
Yes how long do u think a non performing captain keep the ride going. Time comes when they need him he crumbles under pressure and didnt even look any confident. Losing 3-0 at home against second string srilanka side is sufficient enough to kick him out. Had he performed in that despite the loses then there is a point to retain his captaincy. Now when his place itself become questionable and rizwan on the other side piling up runs and looking for an opportunity made sarfraz desperately looking for runs and running for fitness. Rizwan gave nice kick at sarfraz place with those 2 centuries against australia.

for t20's i would have taken the risk and given him full backing and confidence. the cup is next year why change now? its stupid..and then hand it to a novice like Babar? He just doesnt look like cuptaany material..

the last thing we need is for teh pressure to get to babar and our best batsman goes walkabouts..
 
First outing coming up. 118 to defend against Australia in the first T20I (15 overs).

I fell bad for Babar. Had to carry the whole batting by himself, which he did brilliantly. He was cursed with Irfan though. I bet if Wahab bowled he wouldn't have done any better than Irfan.
 
Needs serious work on his English...unconvinced if he's actually an upgrade on totala Sarfraz but let's see.....needs to gain more confidence for the coin toss and to lead his team to an actual victory. English practice with Waqar would help.....
 
The positive is that one game out, his batting not impacted by pressure of captaincy
 
Poor babar will have to abide by orders from Misbah Bhai and Waqar Bhai
 
A lot thought he was a shy quiet person. However he has been very vocal on the pitch and has not hid his emotions.

He had a go at Asif Ali for not taking the double run - had a go at Asif Ali again for being dismissed cheaply next ball.

I like this aggression- so long you back it up with your own performance though as seen with Sarfraz it can backfire.
 
There is huge gulf, not gulf but Atlantic Ocean between Babar Azam and next Pakistani batsman...

Captaincy in cricket is such an overrated thing, your leadership shows up in your performance, you win matches by having more top tier players, nobody cares who is Captain 🙄🙄🙄

Babar is only world class player in this team. Pakistan needs more player like him, Captainy is just a fad, Pakistani fan base and media cricketing IQ is on lower side, like alll things IQ related, they will focus on irrelevant things to have small talk, small talk is one thing that sells a lot in Pakistan unfortunately 🤬🤬
 
Since Babar's T20I Debut

Most T20I 50s

Babar Azam - 12*
Paul Stirling - 11
 
Poor captaincy today.

Amir should open the bowling. He can swing the ball and is by far the best in Pakistan.

Imad should not open the bowling in Australia. The pitches allow the batsman to play on the back-foot and pierce the gaps in the powerplay. He will do well in Asia because of the lower wickets. But in Aus; he will do better in the middle overs with the field set back at longer boundaries.

In hindsight, Babar was also a bit too defensive. There were no catchers in after the power-play apart from a couple of deliveries. He also let the game flow until the last couple of overs. He should have attacked after Smith and McDermott got a bit of a partnership.

I am not too interested in his English speaking abilities unlike some. If he can lead the team well it won't matter.
 
Willing to give him time as it is a long term appointment and he is one of out best players.
 
Mickey Arthur speaking on TV

"Captaincy hasn't affected his batting and that's a good thing. That'll be tested as he gets more into his captaincy, he's on a honeymoon period right now. I like the way he's hitting the ball nice and late, that's key in Australia. His contact point is right under his eyes which allows him to open up the off-side. The other Pakistani batsmen are very anxious and getting out in front of them which leads to loss of shape, loss of power etc."

"I think Babar will be fine as captain, he'll figure it out. The first over should've gone to Amir, he's the leader"

"I wonder how much of Babar's decision making is being dictated from the dressing room. I was always a coach who liked the bowler taking charge of his field, and then speak with the captain and they talk about the plan and field settings. Hopefully that's happening. Babar will be getting a load of advice. The main thing is that Babar needs to remain his own man, once he takes advice from too many quarters, he'll be put under pressure"

"I like that (Babar's reaction to Asif Ali). That's the honest conversation that needs to happen, Babar wasn't happy, there was a 2 on the previous ball if Asif is running hard. Babar is the man in form, he's looking to take charge, he needs to get back on strike. And then to get out on the next ball, that's criminal"
 
Still early for him. But there have been a few times where I feel he missed some tricks. Maybe Misbah has a say in this as well (like not giving Amir the 1st over, field place not correct a couple times, no plan against Smith, bringing Wahab late)
 
when you have 2 bhais in dressing room , i doubt you can captain
im least interested in how babar is captaining on field because i know 90% decisions are from 2 "bhais"
 
His first complete international match as captain. He hasnt let down his team and fans with his batting and I hope same trend follows in his captaincy as well. Lots to learn but he looks like a good learner and hard working guy.
 
Needs to win this series - his captaincy will be under the scanner here.

Not attacking enough in my view but maybe GSL pitch making him change his views?
 
He will be made scapegoat after we lose the T20 World cup. Babar should take a stand for himself and not listen to failed advises of Misbah and Waqar.
 
Seemed to get a log of advice but Babar Azam's decision to bring on Shadab brilliant.
 
Babar is so far an unimaginative captain - starting with team selection but also in terms of setting the tone of the innings from both batting and setting targets viewpoint. Not aggressive mindset needed for this format.
 
Absolutely clueless today.

He's looked like a lost sheep so far.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">2 left-handers at the crease - number of deliveries bowled so far by Mohammad Hafeez = 0<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1300104966057668609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Seems like Babar holds his seniors in high regard but they're there to advise, that's all.

Should have given the ball to Shadab, that was his gut feel, before having his opinion changed by Malik it seems.

Good captains always have the final say, not sure how much Babar had a hand in giving Ifti a third over.

Either way thats a black mark against Babars captaincy.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan were all over the place today. It looked like there were 8 captains out there all panicking. The bowling was terrible with most of the bowlers not even able to get the basics right. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1300115233588105218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Fully agree with the other posters. Babar was receiving too much advice. We have to back him because he's the player we're hoping to be captain for many years to come. He needs to be brave and back himself becuase he does have a good cricketing brain
 
sometimes people need to take a loss, not even 200 was going to be enough for this English batting side on this batting wicket, can't always blame the bowlers, England were too good and we didn't have enough runs for the pitch.
 
Post match after 2nd T20I:

“We had a good start with the bat and I think we stuck to our plans. But with the ball, I think we had a lot of mistakes.

“I am learning a lot as captain. You have to think a lot when under pressure, you have to think about bowling changes and you also need to speak to the bowlers. I am learning and I am hopeful that I can apply what I’m learning in the next match.

“When your main bowler becomes unfit, your bowling lineup struggles.”

"We are very disappointed as we reached such a good total, especially when we thought we would get to 160-170 but ended up on 195 which was based on an outstanding innings by Mohammad Hafeez"

"However, we could not apply ourselves when it came to bowling but we will try our best to make a comeback in the next game"

"We didnt bowl well but Eoin Morgan's inning was outstanding as was the one from Dawid Malan which helped England take the game away from us"


"We are poisitive about the next game and I have full faith in our players that we will make a comeback"
 
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The seniors need to stop pressurizing him and pitching in with their advices. To stand up to them and be assertive in his decisions is a move that can be very costly in a politics infused dressing room and toxic system as ours. I wish he had the spine and diplomacy required to maneuver this situation but it is going to be very hard on him and I feel for him. He is such a hardworking young man who keeps to himself and does what's required of him. Unfortunately he is the only guaranteed player in the lineup,hence the captaincy.

Today he clearly wanted to give the ball to Shadab but was persuaded otherwise in favour of Iftikhar. Maybe it's not his cricketing IQ that's at fault rather the need of the other players to come off as helpful and seniors to the new captain. Babar needs to be more confident in his abilities. He has to believe that he is here because he understands cricket and if he makes mistakes then so be it. Everyone does. He has a year to learn but his personality and the overbearing presence of the seniors and coach might take a toll on him. Expect to see bits of gray hair popping out soon lol.
 
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The seniors need to stop pressurizing him and pitching in with their advices. To stand up to them and be assertive in his decisions is a move that can be very costly in a politics infused dressing room and toxic system as ours. I wish he had the spine and diplomacy required to maneuver this situation but it is going to be very hard on him and I feel for him. He is such a hardworking young man who keeps to himself and does what's required of him. Unfortunately he is the only guaranteed player in the lineup,hence the captaincy.

Today he clearly wanted to give the ball to Shadab but was persuaded otherwise in favour of Iftikhar. Maybe it's not his cricketing IQ that's at fault rather the need of the other players to come off as helpful and seniors to the new captain. Babar needs to be more confident in his abilities. He has to believe that he is here because he understands cricket and if he makes mistakes then so be it. Everyone does. He has a year to learn but his personality and the overbearing presence of the seniors and coach might take a toll on him. Expect to see bits of gray hair popping out soon lol.

He wanted them 2 in the team so his own fault
 
Fully agree with the other posters. Babar was receiving too much advice. We have to back him because he's the player we're hoping to be captain for many years to come. He needs to be brave and back himself becuase he does have a good cricketing brain

Get rid of the seniors and he will make decisions himself
 
His head must be totally messed up - poor guy.

There are so many big names and old-timers in the squad and on the coaching staff, that he must be feeling like every decision he makes has to be scrutinised by a committee.

It must be really difficult to captain in that sort of environment.
 
Doesn't surprise me one bit! He never looked captaincy material. He is a timid guy who is busy with his own cricket. Same goes for Azhar.

It was also sad how he needed a council of five when the going went tough. That was really comical for an international side just after 4 overs. Shows you why he requested Hafeez and Malik's return.

It's pathetic how some of our big names can't identify captains/leaders.
 
That decision to bring Iftikhar on for the 3rd over was a costly one. He should try to make his own decisions and not go to senior players for every single decision.
 
He wanted them 2 in the team so his own fault

That's what he said. What goes on behind closed doors is not something we are privy to. The fact that he can decide for himself with Misbah at the helm is something i find very hard to believe. But if it was indeed his decision than it was a terrible one and hopefully he will eventually learn when it will hurt the team.

But most of all he needs to be assertive and not a Yes man or people pleaser. Because I dont think he has the freedom to operate in the ideal capacity and I don't know if he is cut out to demand that. Only time will tell. He is not the best captain there is but he was chosen by the authorities and there is nothing to do but back him especially since their are very pitiful and uncertain alternatives.
 
The problem is he seems too timid and unconfident in his captaincy abilities, which is why he went into a panic at the first sign of trouble and made a whole consultation panel on the field. This isn't his true self though, this is just the process of a young inexperienced captain

He's not one to buckle under pressure, he's shown that many times in his batting. Those pressure knocks he played in the WC2019 last year, especially the one vs NZ. Does that look like a guy who cracks and panics under the pressure? It is far different to Azhar, who's largely a mental midget. To carry that mindset into captaincy, Babar just needs more confidence in his own captaincy abilities to be able to make those decisions himself and go with his gut feeling.

He will only ever learn from making his own mistakes from his own bad decisions. So it's time he trusted in himself to make those decisions, and if he gets it wrong then at least it was HIS decision that was wrong, not Malik's or Ifti's, so he can actually learn from it.
 
The problem is he seems too timid and unconfident in his captaincy abilities, which is why he went into a panic at the first sign of trouble and made a whole consultation panel on the field. This isn't his true self though, this is just the process of a young inexperienced captain

He's not one to buckle under pressure, he's shown that many times in his batting. Those pressure knocks he played in the WC2019 last year, especially the one vs NZ. Does that look like a guy who cracks and panics under the pressure? It is far different to Azhar, who's largely a mental midget. To carry that mindset into captaincy, Babar just needs more confidence in his own captaincy abilities to be able to make those decisions himself and go with his gut feeling.

He will only ever learn from making his own mistakes from his own bad decisions. So it's time he trusted in himself to make those decisions, and if he gets it wrong then at least it was HIS decision that was wrong, not Malik's or Ifti's, so he can actually learn from it.

If the PCB had decided to play Malik or Hafeez in the T-20 format, maybe the right approach would have been appointing one of them as captain and making Babar deputy.
 
If the PCB had decided to play Malik or Hafeez in the T-20 format, maybe the right approach would have been appointing one of them as captain and making Babar deputy.

Malik is off the table for me. He literally offers nothing, can't bat, can't bowl, it's a liability to play someone solely as a captain.

The way I look at it, you either make someone like Hafeez captain and groom Babar as his deputy, or Babar is captain and you drop all those nonsense butting in voices like Malik and Ifti (who offer nothing) and let him make his decisions with his own crystal clear thought process, so he learns the hard way. Since Babar is already captain, I think the only way forward is the latter. Either way, the current situation is an absolute recipe for disaster as we saw today.

Also, it requires a coach who doesn't do :facepalm when his young captain is getting something wrong. That obviously goes without saying.
 
They lose one game, and then people get over-emotional and call for Babar to be replaced. He has to learn on the job, so hopefully he learns and that happens going forwards.

The game was in the balance till approx halfway through the Eng innings, then he took off Shadab after 2 overs instead of keeping him going.

He didn't bowl Hafeez, which made me check if Hafeez is banned again (he is NOT, so very odd decision to bowl Iftikhar ahead of him. Hafeez is still a better bowler than Iftikhar).

Malik seemed to be unofficial vice-captain, and Babar obviously respects the 'senior' player giving advice instead of taking the decisions himself. That needs to stop. Babar seems too nice, so team management need to make the call to remove Malik. That way Babar will be forced to use his own brain. And anyway we cannot have two 40-year olds at #3 and #4 (don't tell me they're still in their 30s because I don't believe it!), so as Malik doesn't bowl and his batting is in decline, he should be dropped.
 
Imad would have been a sensible choice for t20 captain. babar is a bit too timid and underconfident when it comes to tactics. Misbah and Younis should be the only ones he needs to discuss his strategy beforehand, and on the field maybe just involve one guy whether it's hafeez or malik or imad.
Too many cooks always spoil the broth.
He is naive as a captain, don't think he has led enough in domestic cricket, before being handed reigns of both LOI's.
 
His head must be totally messed up - poor guy.

There are so many big names and old-timers in the squad and on the coaching staff, that he must be feeling like every decision he makes has to be scrutinised by a committee.

It must be really difficult to captain in that sort of environment.

Some of the fault lies on himself alone by asking for return of Malik and Hafeez. Wouldn't have been a problem if he were just discussing tactics with Imad on the field.
Off the field, both Misbah and Younis have been pretty wise strategists, don't think they would come down hard on him if he were to discuss it with them alone.
But needs to stop bringing everyone into the huddle and asking for opinions.
If he can't improve game awareness by learning from Misbah and Younis, then captaincy isn't for him probs.
Needs to be backed though. I am afraid for the ODI's though. Wish we could have had a Graeme Smith like captain, assertive and strong enough to be his own man while always letting the bat do the talking.
 
His head must be totally messed up - poor guy.

There are so many big names and old-timers in the squad and on the coaching staff, that he must be feeling like every decision he makes has to be scrutinised by a committee.

It must be really difficult to captain in that sort of environment.


Exactly, look at the names Misbah, Waqar, Younis, Mushtaq, Malik, Hafeez, Wahab, Amir in the dressing room.. he will have his heart in his mouth...


Biggest mistake they did was getting rid of Mickey Arthur... and replacing him with MISBAH,


They say captaining pakistan team is a tough job then coaching should also be , cannot have a debut coach and captain at the same time... More to follow, this will end up as nasty as it can get..
 
Lets hope babar succeeds, the captaincy musical chair might start if he fails.

We should reserve judgement on him till the odi series is done.
 
The current environment doesn't encourage a young captain to blossom and make his own decisions.

Babar looks like a naughty schoolboy any time he has to make a decision, with the head teacher and senior teachers watching over him.

He needs some breathing space, he needs encouragement to make his own decisions.
 
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Poor captaincy yesterday by him, and not to forget Shaheen's horrible bowling as well.
 
The man he is replacing, has a stellar record of taking Pak to no. 1 and a record unbeaten streak, taking his PSL side to many finals (deservedly won this year) and been top 2 side for most seasons, plus has done very well for khi dolphins as well.

Babar hasn't proven himself at all like Sarfraz has in T20's, so I'm shocked by this decision.

As I said, absolutely ludicrous decision to appoint Babar as captain based on his batting.

Sarfraz led this below average team to respectability and he shouldn't have been judged on his captaincy in other formats.
 
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