"Time to move on and appoint Babar Azam as Test captain" : Shoaib Akhtar

[Abdullah719]

Shoaib Akhtar speaking on TV:

"First let us see if the people appointing the captain is visionary himself."

"Appointing a captain is an art itself."

"Why is it that in the last 5 years we don't have a proper middle order or a good captain?"

"Can Babar Azam be that captain for Pakistan? Sarfraz has been playing FC for last 10 years, he was playing in my times, he isn't a fresh face."

"We have had a tradition of captains who have played for themselves and created groups/tribes for themselves from which teams are made, we have never had a leader."

"Its about time that we appoint one captain and that person is Sarfraz who fits the bill the best."

"You cannot have three captains which will lead to three different groups."

"My only problem with Sarfraz that he has to work on his Test cricket and especially his keeping."

"A lot of experts questioned Misbah's captaincy in Australia. It was easy to captain in the matches he won in Dubai."

"He had the services of some of spinners, namely Saeed Ajmal who we have all forgotten. Saeed Ajmal was responsible for a lot of victories for Pakistan."

"The real test for Pakistan was outside sub-continent."

"He did some strange captaincy in Australia making Ian Chappell shout that this looks like a club level team."

"Even the best teams went to Australia and lost but at least they fought well."

"I think it's time to move on and appoint Babar Azam as Test captain and invest in the future."

"All our recent batsmen play with 60 SR mostly which is not up to modern standards."

"If Wasim Akram played all his matches in UAE like we do nowadays, he would have 20+ hundreds too."

"Asad Shafiq has been bogged down in the Pakistan team and hasn't been given freedom because leaders make players but we have captains, not leaders."

"We have to decide if Umar, Shoaib and Hafeez will be part of the team in the World Cup - I don't think so."

"You can't be a big bowler if you don't win matches."

"Bowlers aren't only to blame as they are used to contain runs rather than to take wickets."

"PCB lays the blame for everything on the Pakistan team and gets away without making any changes."

"The team that makes disastrous policies in PCB doesn't change and there is a lot of corruption."

 

[Sin Nombre]

Shoaib has never been intelligent. Too emotional.

 

[Haripotter]

Make babar captain. We want to see akmal tribes coming into fore

 

[Arham_PakFan]

LOL what?Forget captaincy,Babar should first try to settle into the Test team.

 

[mango_bite77]

This is the first time Pakistan has showrn some fight on Australian tour and he is saying other teams show fight at least.

 

[Madplayer]

This is nothing more than an Emotional appeal.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Babar should be vice captain in all 3 formats. Make him captain after 2 or 3 years after he is settled

 

[Jabo]

Lol

He must be on something

Azhar must NOT be the captain of any format though

 

[The_Odd_One]

He first needs to perform in tests. Should be made vice captain and take over from Sarfraz in a couple of years when he's ready.

 

[Syed1]

Lol

He must be on something

Azhar must NOT be the captain of any format though

PCB logic:

Azhar is an atrocious ODI captain, let's make him test captain

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Babar should be vice captain in all 3 formats. Make him captain after 2 or 3 years after he is settled

What has he done to deserve vice-captaincy in tests?

 

[Haripotter]

Is there no thought process around here ? A youngster played a couple of good innings and everyone doesn't mind him captaining the side so early.
Why should anyone think of burdening him with captaincy when he still need to mature as a cricketer first . Very shocking . Does this mean there is no able leader in the team at all ?

 

[Arham_PakFan]

"Its about time that we appoint one captain and that person is Sarfraz who fits the bill the best."

"I think it's time to move on and appoint Babar Azam as Test captain and invest in the future."



Typical Shaiby

Wasim said that first bit(about Sarfraz).

 

[Abdullah719]

Wasim said that first bit(about Sarfraz).

Shoaib Akhtar said it.

He was saying Sarfraz in the context of captain for all formats but he recommended Babar as Test captain...

 

[ask_analyse_act]

"Its about time that we appoint one captain and that person is Sarfraz who fits the bill the best."

"I think it's time to move on and appoint Babar Azam as Test captain and invest in the future."



Typical Shaiby

No he must have had sarfraz in mind but while speaking he did vomit Babar azam's name...I think he meant Sarfraz , because babar made just 68 runs and had a very poor series in australia.. Sarfraz on the other hand did well as a wicketkeeper batsman in an away tour that too in australia...

 

[MenInG]

No he must have had sarfraz in mind but while speaking he did vomit Babar azam's name...I think he meant Sarfraz , because babar made just 68 runs and had a very poor series in australia.. Sarfraz on the other hand did well as a wicketkeeper batsman in an away tour that too in australia...

He had earlier said that Sarfraz has been around for a while and not a fresh talent etc

 

[Pete Rose]

I do agree with the need to broaden the search for captain (in t20's and odi's especially) beyond the usual suspects being considered.

 

[Hasan2K8]

Make Azhar Ali the captain for test. Sarfraz for LOI. Sorted!

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Babar is only a kid. A captain has to be 26+.

A potential captain needs to have 4-6 years of international cricket by age 26 and be a permanent member for last 2 years with good form.

Anyone in Pakistan who fits this criteria?

 

[waleed88]

Lol the guy who can't make a run in Test Matches to save his life should be appointed captain, hilarious!

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Make Azhar Ali the captain for test. Sarfraz for LOI. Sorted!

No.. Make MYK captain in tests to teach Azhar some attacking captaincy for a year or 1.5 years and then give it to azhar...By this way they can make MYK happy and also get rid of the defensive mindset from azhar for a fair amount before giving him another captaincy role.....

azhar is more deserving than sarfraz for captaincy in tests...Yes Safraz only for LOIs..

 

[Speedster1]

"Its about time that we appoint one captain and that person is Sarfraz who fits the bill the best."

"I think it's time to move on and appoint Babar Azam as Test captain and invest in the future."

Does this guy ever listen to what comes out of his mouth?

 

[Saj]

On what basis should Babar Azam be Test captain?

The kid has only ever captained teams in junior level and Pakistan A for a few matches where he looked a bit lost.

 

[Abdullah719]

Does this guy ever listen to what comes out of his mouth?

I'll try and give some perspective to these comments.

The Sarfraz comment was in relation to the recent talk about one captain for all formats, i.e. Akhtar was saying that he is the one option they have if they pursue that option.

Babar was his separate recommendation as Test captain.

 

[coy0607]

did Akhtar really say that?

from the interview it sounds more like he's trying to make a point about thinking outside the box when appointing next captain

Akhtar is generally pretty coherent on TV

 

[Hawkeye]

Why are people attacking him for a sane comment?

We have to move forward -- leave behind Azhar, Malik, Hafeez, Rizwan, Sarf probably, in ODIs.

Amir will be a better captain than Sarf, so I don't agree with Azam, who doesn't have leadership skills.

 

[Yaasir]

Yeah make the most selfish player on the team captain.

 

[khurram39]

Its too early to make a decision on babar azam to develop him as acaptain of the format where he is just trying to cemented his position.

Just want to know is Babar Azam a Leader?
What qualities Mr. 100mph has seen in him?

Fair point on shoaib malik, umar akmal and rest of the team.

 

[Madplayer]

Its too early to make a decision on babar azam to develop him as acaptain of the format where he is just trying to cemented his position.

Just want to know is Babar Azam a Leader?
What qualities Mr. 100mph has seen in him?

Fair point on shoaib malik, umar akmal and rest of the team.

Babar was the national u19 team captain. Led them in a world cup.

 

[Seamer]

It would be too much pressure for Sarfaraz captain in all 3 formats and wicketkeeping so I would make Imad Wasim T20 captain and Babar Azam as Vice captain

 

[sshakir411]

Based on current form Babar doesn't even merit a place in the test squad to be honest. I'm all up for supporting Babar but this is idiotic. Same people supporting Babar to be test captain complain Sarfaraz doesn't merit a spot in odis. Let's learn to apply the same standard for every player.

 

[Pak_lover6]

Let the kid settle into international cricket. We can think of appointing him (Babar) as captain after 2019 world cup. Till then Sarfraz or Imad are the options.

 

[khurram39]

Babar was the national u19 team captain. Led them in a world cup.

We have Safraz and Imad who have served in the same capacity. what else he had found in him which is special than them.

 

[Seamer]

Sarfaraz Ahmed should be appointed Test and ODI captain with either Imad or Babar as vice captain. T20 captain should be Imad/Babar

 

[yasir]

Reality is Sarfraz is as temp solution as Azhar is/was... Both of them are too old style and mediocre to Captain all three formats... Pakistan will comeback to Captaincy next year as well, Babar and Haris were introduced 2/3 years late, thanks to Misbah and YK hogging the middle order far too long...

Right now Babar and Amir are only two players who have a place in all three formats, they are still settling into their role, it will take them another year to solidify, this could have happened (in case of Babar) 2 years ago...

Misbah bet on wrong horses, rather too old horses most of the time... 6/7 years of full autonomy and we don't have single world class player in the team...He was never a visionary, too pragmatic for a progressive team, Misbah failed big time at creating positive progressive culture at national level... I don't understand why PCB is so upbeat about him, he should have gone 2 years ago, absolutely no reason to keep him after 2015 WC, we waste two more years, we are still neither here or there

 

[Madplayer]

We have Safraz and Imad who have served in the same capacity. what else he had found in him which is special than them.

I answered your question whether babar has leadership capabilities. Nothing to do with whether he is a better leader than others.

 

[Kaiser_Soze]

Babar as a batsman is tactically naive. Let him sort that out first.

 

[Abdullah719]

Shoaib has started putting forward this 'brainwave' once again.

 

[Swing]

The fact is that we don't have anyone. Sarfraz was never a good captain and I doubt anyone else is suitable right now except for maybe Malik in ODIs

 

[Ned Flanders]

Babar is not a Test level player.

 

[Savak]

The fact is that we don't have anyone. Sarfraz was never a good captain and I doubt anyone else is suitable right now except for maybe Malik in ODIs

Don't have anyone is no excuse to persist with a non deserving captain.

 

[Plumb]

MAke the guy captain who is yet to prove himself that he is cut out for test cricket. Bravo Shobby Bravo

 

[Dingolfy]

How about Azhar Ali? Atleast he is the best batsman in your test team and justify his place.

 

[Saj]

On what basis should Babar be captain?

Makes no sense at all.

 

[Savak]

How about Azhar Ali? Atleast he is the best batsman in your test team and justify his place.

Too timid.

 

[RickyG]

I'd have no qualms about removing Sarfraz as test captain. It might actually be for his own good if anything. However, then you've got to accept that your next test captains are either Azhar Ali or Asad Shafiq.

The outside option is Yasir but that's about it. There's no one else that has the experience or is a certainty in the test team.