[EXCLUSIVE] "Babar Azam has some problems, maybe mental problems or maybe some family problems": Shahid Hashmi

[Ball Blazer]

In this exclusive interview, veteran Pakistani journalist Shahid Hashmi joins PakPassion for a detailed discussion on the critical issues facing Pakistan cricket. Hashmi offers his expert analysis on the T20 future of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the selection puzzles ahead of the World Cup, the PCB's takeover of the Multan Sultans, the search for a red-ball coach, and the state of cricket relations with India.

Key revelations include:

•⁠ ⁠⁠Babar Azam's Struggles: "He has some problems. Maybe mental problems. Maybe some family problems." – Hashmi notes that Babar is resting while playing in the Big Bash League (BBL) as part of a reciprocal arrangement between the PCB and Cricket Australia.

•⁠ ⁠⁠Unpredictable Selection: "You cannot rule out anything in Pakistan cricket." – Hashmi highlights Usman Khan and Abdul Samad’s inclusion, viewing Samad as a key middle-order prospect. He also discusses the competition between Shadab Khan and Fahim Ashraf for a T20 World Cup all-rounder spot.

•⁠ ⁠⁠Rizwan's Captaincy Chance: "Maybe Rizwan is announced as the captain for the Pakistan team." – He suggests that Rizwan could still force his way back into the team for the World Cup, potentially even as captain

•⁠ ⁠⁠Multan Sultans Fallout: "PCB will run Multan Sultans, which is a sad thing." – While acknowledging Tarin's passion and the franchise's success, he notes that communication breakdowns and public grievances led to this situation. He expresses hope that Tarin might return to the PSL by potentially buying one of the two upcoming new franchises.

•⁠ ⁠⁠Coaching Vacancy: "Pakistan should definitely have one of these gentlemen as red-ball coach." – With the red-ball coaching position vacant, Hashmi identifies Mike Hesson, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Hafeez as strong candidates.

•⁠ ⁠⁠India-Pakistan Dynamic: "The best answer from Pakistan's side is to beat India." – The conversation ends with the ongoing "bad blood" and political tension affecting cricket between India and Pakistan. Hashmi argues that while politics remains a barrier, the financial necessity of India-Pakistan matches for world cricket means they will continue to be a priority for international bodies.

Watch full interview with Saj here:

 

[Sunny_majoka]

He is a mental midget, one of the biggest mistake of PCB to make him captain

 

[pakistani pride]

He is a mental midget, one of the biggest mistake of PCB to make him captain

This and he is lazy, just look at him and tell me does he look like a pro athlete?

 

[topspin]

He is a mental midget, one of the biggest mistake of PCB to make him captain

100%. You can see from a million miles away just by looking at his chehra that he is a mental midget and no leader of men.

He was never going to last as captain, so how can someone who's mentally so frail going to recover from losing captaincy?

 

[Ball Blazer]

@Rana
What do you think?

 

[GOSH11]

100%. You can see from a million miles away just by looking at his chehra that he is a mental midget and no leader of men.

He was never going to last as captain, so how can someone who's mentally so frail going to recover from losing captaincy?

Never captaincy material, that was laughable that he was even given a go.

The bigger tragedy, is the waste of the platform he had to become a truly world class batsman, he was averaging mid 40's in tests, 55+ in odi and 40+ in T20 but has regressed! Not even stagnated but bloody regressed! That too, in his prime!! Ridiculous!

 

[Rana]

@Rana
What do you think?

Let’s ask @KingOfPakBreakfast who gets touchy and emotional whenever I mention Babar.

 

[pakistani pride]

Never captaincy material, that was laughable that he was even given a go.

The bigger tragedy, is the waste of the platform he had to become a truly world class batsman, he was averaging mid 40's in tests, 55+ in odi and 40+ in T20 but has regressed! Not even stagnated but bloody regressed! That too, in his prime!! Ridiculous!99% soft runs even in his so called prime. Mentioned this so many times, ODIs his so called best format. his best score in ODI just check how he started that innings. in tests he had a good run but mainly due to absolute flat tracks on the roads of all roads.

99% “soft” runs in his so called prime. This has been mentioned countless times. ODIs, supposedly his best format, hardly backed that up.Just look at his highest score and how that innings started. In Tests, he had a decent run, but much of it came on flat, road-like tracks that made batting ridiculously easy.

 

[shaz619]

But why is this preventing him from belting the ball over the boundary

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

As a neutral indian fan....a good batsman...easy on the eye, has some fantastic strokes....a guy who could have become really great/excellent...somehow his own timid nature or lack to put in the hard yards or a lot of this was the 'naya Kohli' 'super 5' 'king Azam hype by Pak media in response to King Kohli' did him no favours and to a certain extent i do sympathize with him -

somehow he was marked out to be Pak's response to Kohli ....
much like in the 90's - Inzi bhai was tasked for duplicating Sachin and to be fair- he succeded....

 

[Sunny_majoka]

100%. You can see from a million miles away just by looking at his chehra that he is a mental midget and no leader of men.

He was never going to last as captain, so how can someone who's mentally so frail going to recover from losing captaincy?

Moreover, he still takes decisions based on his father’s advice. Almost all of his captaincy decisions appeared to be orders coming from his father—quite comical, really.

 

[topspin]

Moreover, he still takes decisions based on his father’s advice. Almost all of his captaincy decisions appeared to be orders coming from his father—quite comical, really.

Or from Darren Sammy when he's captaining PZ

 

[Sachin fan]

much like in the 90's - Inzi bhai was tasked for duplicating Sachin and to be fair- he succeded....

Lol, sure

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Let’s ask @KingOfPakBreakfast who gets touchy and emotional whenever I mention Babar.

Weird post this (how surprising). You may be as fixated w/ me as you are w/ Riz Babar. I’m good, thanks.

Funnily enough, I don’t seem to get ‘touchy’ and ‘emotional’ with other posters who mention and objectively criticise Babar. Maybe it’s because they behave like human beings when doing so, instead of whatever you are.

 

[TheSultan]

This and he is lazy, just look at him and tell me does he look like a pro athlete?

He has some of the worst traits anyone would look for in a captain.

Mental midget
Weak minded
Weak physically
Zero presence
Even when his batting had potential, he rarely ever gave the impression of someone that can punish the opposition
Gormless
Very low cricketing IQ

Inzi was similar in some aspects (apart from the batting where I rate his batting IQ very high), but at least he was BIG and looked like a commanding figure.

 

[rpant_gabba]

surprised @Bhaag Viru Bhaag hasn't shown up here

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

surprised @Bhaag Viru Bhaag hasn't shown up here

Not surprising - nothing negative against India is on this thread

 

[RidiculousMan]

He is a mental midget, one of the biggest mistake of PCB to make him captain

Yes he's the biggest batter (counting all formats) to come out of Pakistan in the last decade.

Tells you how scarce batting talent is in Pakistan and how poorly Pakistan Cricket as a whole deal with the batting talent.

 

[pakistani pride]

Yes he's the biggest batter (counting all formats) to come out of Pakistan in the last decade.

Tells you how scarce batting talent is in Pakistan and how poorly Pakistan Cricket as a whole deal with the batting talent.

In TESTS he has achieved nothing at all. In ODIs FZ clears him easily. In T20s he bats like he is playing ODIs.