[VIDEO] "Babar Azam's captaincy is like a sacred cow that cannot be criticized": Mohammad Hafeez

[Savak]

To be fair to Babars critics, this is not the first match he has cost us with his poor non learning captaincy. He has cost us many games below with his average tactics, decisions, field placings ie

SF vs Aus in 2021
Asia Cup Final in 2022
India match at the MCG in 2022

Less said about his Karachi Kings stint as captain, the better

He can't complain about lack of resources, he has the fastest pace attack in the world and a decent leg spinner in Shadab, decent finger spinner in Nawaz and a decent offie in Iftikhar. But still Babar cannot properly evaluate where he screwed up and keeps repeating the same errors again.

Some players should be man enough to admit they aren't cut out for a particular job.

 

[MenInG]

Now Saleem Malik turns on Babar:

Speaking on 24 News, Malik said, “Yeh pressure wala situation and aise time main senior player ka bohot bada role hota hai. Agar captain to nehi samjh aa raha uss waqt ya lag raha he ki galat decision le raha hain then aap jaake bata sakte hain ki woh galat jaa rahein hai. Iisiliye main humesha kehta hu ki fast bowler ke sath ke senior banda khara hona chaiye jo usko bataye. Itne saalo ke baad bhi agar aapko captaincy nahi aati then aapko chor dena chaiye. Agar same mistakes baar baar kar rahein hai toh best hai ki captaincy nehi karni chaiye. Bohot saare logon ne captaincy chori hai (Senior players play an important role in these kind of pressure situations. If the captain is not able to make a good decision, he can ttalk to seniors where he is going wrong. That's why I always say that a senior player should be with a fast bowler, who can advise him. After so many years, if you are not able to lead properly then it's best to leave it. Many have left it in the past, if you keep making same mistakes again and again, no harm in leaving the captaincy.)"

https://www.timesnownews.com/sports...-repeating-the-same-mistakes-article-95077037

 

[heddie19]

He is saying "nawaz ka quota 11 overs tak poora kara do" he started bowling at over no.7. What kinda professor he is?

 

[PakPremi]

There is nothing wrong with Hafeez and Malik criticising captaincy and team tactics, which are questionable and that is what they are in the panel for to present their honest views as they feel. Babar captaincy is costing Pakistan key games, irrespective of players from opposition being great or not.

 

[Zaz]

To be fair to Babars critics, this is not the first match he has cost us with his poor non learning captaincy. He has cost us many games below with his average tactics, decisions, field placings ie

SF vs Aus in 2021
Asia Cup Final in 2022
India match at the MCG in 2022

Less said about his Karachi Kings stint as captain, the better

He can't complain about lack of resources, he has the fastest pace attack in the world and a decent leg spinner in Shadab, decent finger spinner in Nawaz and a decent offie in Iftikhar. But still Babar cannot properly evaluate where he screwed up and keeps repeating the same errors again.

Some players should be man enough to admit they aren't cut out for a particular job.

How did babars captaincy cost us the game?

His bowling changes were spot on Most people on here agree that Nawaz was rightly held back hoping there was a enough of a cushion to close out the last over

He did most things right yday The bowlers just couldnt execute the plan under pressure in the last few overs

Thats not on him

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Serial chuckers and fixers criticising Bobby's captaincy.

 

[Energy]

Everything is easier said in hindsight.

Babar only made one error and that was not to give Iftikhar an over to make up for Nawaz's last at the time (not at the end). Apart from that there was nothing unusual about the captaincy.

Babar needs to understand that in a five-bowler strategy, Iftikhar needs to be bowl 1-2 overs in every match in the middle to compensate for the bowlers having an off-day at the end.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Everything is easier said in hindsight.

Babar only made one error and that was not to give Iftikhar an over to make up for Nawaz's last at the time (not at the end). Apart from that there was nothing unusual about the captaincy.

Babar needs to understand that in a five-bowler strategy, Iftikhar needs to be bowl 1-2 overs in every match in the middle to compensate for the bowlers having an off-day at the end.

I thought the same. Babar's captaincy was spot on, unlike his batting.

I would have kept the pacers going till the last over too. They were attacking the spinners successfully after the 10th over.

The over to Nawaz vs Iftikhar is a toss up. If Iftikhar had conceded 20 runs, they'd have said why give the over to a bowler who hasn't bowled all match.

Babar did fine. It was just Kohli who happened. You don't expect opposition to score 120 off last 10.

 

[Ashmal]

Serial chuckers and fixers criticising Bobby's captaincy.

Serial bottlers too who regularly froze during their stint as captains vs India and in other crunch games in WCs

Tbh....I am so glad that the team has finally moved on from these toxic ex-players.

Babar's team has much more character and grit than the past Pakistani teams led by these guys.

 

[volcyz]

Pathetic from these armchair critics former teammates

With axes to grind

 

[Zaz]

Serial bottlers too who regularly froze during their stint as captains vs India and in other crunch games in WCs

Tbh....I am so glad that the team has finally moved on from these toxic ex-players.

Babar's team has much more character and grit than the past Pakistani teams led by these guys.

This Most of these giving gyaan did naff all when they had the chance themselves against india and regularly buckled under pressure against them

And here they are criticising babar whos team in the last yr or so has given india much more fight than these guys ever did in years and years

These players are in a world cup and should be backed and given confidence by their fellow pros but instead they sharpen their knives and bring forward their own personal agendas and vendettas and in turn drag their fellow ex colleagues down
Pathetic!

 

[GLORY OF '92]

How did babars captaincy cost us the game?

His bowling changes were spot on Most people on here agree that Nawaz was rightly held back hoping there was a enough of a cushion to close out the last over

He did most things right yday The bowlers just couldnt execute the plan under pressure in the last few overs

Thats not on him

Batted like a coward missed a 80mph half volley. Should have bowled Ifti after nawaz was hit for 20.

Never give a spinner the final over.

Enough?

 

[Saj]

Babar needs a match soon where his captaincy leads to a win in a tight contest or the criticism will continue as he has fallen short in some close and key contests.

 

[Suleiman]

Batted like a coward missed a 80mph half volley. Should have bowled Ifti after nawaz was hit for 20.

Never give a spinner the final over.

Enough?

Biggest blunder of all was not playing 4 pacers. A finger spinner being relied upon to bowl in Australia Vs an Asian team…. Lol.

I mean he can see Asif is not doing anything, it’s obvious what we should have done.

We relied upon Rauf, Naseem who were good, and a half fit Shaheen bowling at 10 kph less than he does so he doesn’t injure himself. Obviously we needed another pacer

 

[ZafarKhan2022]

Pakistan's brand of cricket for the last 50+ years has been world class fast bowling, and Babar is the captain who elected to bowl the last over of the most important match of the year with a left arm finger spinner turned left arm medium pacer with a wicket keeper standing back. This egregious outrageous stunt alone should be enough to strip him of the captaincy let alone the Duck he scored.

 

[James]

Pathetic from these armchair critics former teammates

With axes to grind

Seems to be the same situation in several Test playing nations.

The ex players always know better and would have done everything right on the pitch compared with the guys out there now — despite their own numerous failures during their careers.

It’s poor.

 

[Zaz]

Batted like a coward missed a 80mph half volley. Should have bowled Ifti after nawaz was hit for 20.

Never give a spinner the final over.

Enough?

So if someone gets out hes a coward now? Your acting like another hafeez amir etc who sit on these third rate shows spewing venom

Lesrn to show some respect

 

[Zaz]

Pakistan's brand of cricket for the last 50+ years has been world class fast bowling, and Babar is the captain who elected to bowl the last over of the most important match of the year with a left arm finger spinner turned left arm medium pacer with a wicket keeper standing back. This egregious outrageous stunt alone should be enough to strip him of the captaincy let alone the Duck he scored.

He had no choice He had to bowl a spinner somewhere as there wasnt a pace option instead n they were always gonna go after him or iftikhar whenever they bowled

The only mistake the management made was not selecting another pacer to give another bowling option

Other than that babar utilised his resources as best as he could

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Hafeez writing for ICC...

==

Mohammad Hafeez: Pakistan can bounce back from ‘damaging’ India defeat

I wanted Pakistan’s match against India to be a nail-biter – and I certainly got my wish.

This fixture is always something special and people travel from all over the world to see it. Whenever it happens, it brings a lot of joy to the fans and to see that atmosphere inside the MCG, with over 90,000 spectators in the stadium, was special and the match itself gave them all something to remember.

It was definitely one of the best T20 games we’ve seen in recent years. I’ve never watched a game quite like it and I think this match has set the tone for the World Cup as a whole.

As an ex-Pakistan cricketer, I’m obviously disappointed with the result, but I can only give credit to Virat Kohli. What a special cricketer he is.

He absorbed all the pressure when Pakistan were in control and conditions were tough. The way he handled it, particularly given the magnitude of this match and how it can wear you down, was unbelievable.

I can relate it to Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes against England in the 2016 final. There’s no pressure quite like the last over of a World Cup final but this game comes close, so the way he managed the game was incredible.

From a Pakistan point of view, we made mistakes but there are positives. Shan [Masood] and Iftikhar [Ahmed] played superbly. They have been waiting patiently for their opportunities and now they have grabbed them.

We have had middle order problems but these two can play their shots and are technically solid, which will give the team and management confidence.

The result could – and should – have gone in our favour and the players now have to pick themselves up. They will have to sit down and talk it through with each other. Nothing went badly wrong, we played a very good game on the whole but made mistakes at key stages.

I played in many Pakistan-India matches and they are always very impactful whether you win or lose.

As a player, you put so much into it – it can either boost your confidence or it could potentially break you.

This defeat will be damaging for the Pakistan players but I believe they can bounce back and play good, positive cricket for the rest of the tournament.

Shaheen Afridi, for one, will improve as the World Cup goes on and I want to praise his will to feature in Australia.

A month ago, we were all thinking he may not be able to make it because of his injury, so I’m very impressed to see him playing. He’s not in full rhythm yet but he is giving his best for the team and he will get better.

Ultimately, we have to forget this result quickly and move on to the next game. We must respond well against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands and we will also have to beat South Africa in what will be a massive match in this group – that looks like the key one for us now.

Pakistan cricket brings so much joy to so many people when the team are playing well and I’d love to see us in the knockout stages. If we’re to make it, we can’t afford to make any more mistakes.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Yes, there are problems in the team. But seriously for pathetic individuals like Hafeez, Saleem Malik, Amir etc to be spitting so much venom simply shows their nature which is why they are far away from the team.

Amir is such a despicable person. When he talks, you could see the hate and dislike he has for the team. Wish he gets dropped from PSL as well.

 

[MenInG]

And a U turn by Hafeez?

==

Mohammad Hafeez:

“Iske pehle usne kabh domestic level main itni der captaincy nehi ki huyi thi. Usko yeh role mila and he is trying his level best. Galatiyan hum sabse hoti hain zindagi main. But usko support karna iss tarah se zarurat hai ki jo management baithi huyi hai who usse zarur support karein. Bahar baithke criticise karna toh bohot asan hota hai but usse rectify ya dur karna ka zarurat hai. Babar ek shandaar player hai aur woh yeh duniya ki aise profuct hai jisko log dekhna chahate hai. Captaincy ko leke khamkha ka koi criticism nehi hona chaiye (He never led a side in domestic cricket for that long. He has been given this role and has been trying his level best. All he needs is support and the team management should provide that to him. It is easy to sit outside and criticise player. Babar is a fantastic player and people actually want to see him play)


https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-viral-sacred-cow-remark-101667639660401.html

 

[DeadlyVenom]

And a U turn by Hafeez?

==

Mohammad Hafeez:

“Iske pehle usne kabh domestic level main itni der captaincy nehi ki huyi thi. Usko yeh role mila and he is trying his level best. Galatiyan hum sabse hoti hain zindagi main. But usko support karna iss tarah se zarurat hai ki jo management baithi huyi hai who usse zarur support karein. Bahar baithke criticise karna toh bohot asan hota hai but usse rectify ya dur karna ka zarurat hai. Babar ek shandaar player hai aur woh yeh duniya ki aise profuct hai jisko log dekhna chahate hai. Captaincy ko leke khamkha ka koi criticism nehi hona chaiye (He never led a side in domestic cricket for that long. He has been given this role and has been trying his level best. All he needs is support and the team management should provide that to him. It is easy to sit outside and criticise player. Babar is a fantastic player and people actually want to see him play)


https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-viral-sacred-cow-remark-101667639660401.html

Perhaps lining up a role at KK now he has left LQ?

 

[SpiritOf1903]

He needs dropping..

 

[Saj]

Batting at number 8 for Quetta Gladiators.

QG skipper must think he's a tailender now?

 

[Dark_Horse]

Innovation and brave captaincy.......
When somebody will ask why so low
Hafeez be like hi Mai te dar gae

 

[shamaan]

If your going to pick him play him in the top order.

 

[Markhor]

Credit where its due, I thought his captaincy was much improved in Sri Lanka. He got the field places and bowling changes pretty much spot on. Strangely had a quiet series with the bat while his teammates made merry. Jayasuriya was his undoing again.

 

[Saj]

One thing is for sure, his batting isn't affected by captaincy at all:

Babar Azam's batting statistics as ODI captain:

Innings 30
Runs 1994
Average 71.21
Strike-rate 93.57
Hundreds 8
Fifties 13

 

[Saj]

Babar Azam's record as Pakistan ODI captain:

Matches 30
Won 21
Lost 9

 

[MenInG]

Babar Azam's record as Pakistan ODI captain:

Matches 30
Won 21
Lost 9

Awesome record this.

 

[gazza619]

“If you are not able to deliver as captain, then you have to accept responsibility. You can't just say that I am still learning"

Well Hafeez himself took nearly 10 years to learn how to bat

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Babar Azam's record as Pakistan ODI captain:

Matches 30
Won 21
Lost 9

For context …

Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - L
South Africa - W
South Africa - L
South Africa B - W
England B - L
England B - L
England B - L
Australia B - L
Australia B - W
Australia B - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Nepal - W

Not trying to hate on Babar here but let’s be honest, 20 of those games have been against crappy teams and Second XI’s.

 

[MenInG]

For context …

Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - L
South Africa - W
South Africa - L
South Africa B - W
England B - L
England B - L
England B - L
Australia B - L
Australia B - W
Australia B - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Nepal - W

Not trying to hate on Babar here but let’s be honest, 20 of those games have been against crappy teams and Second XI’s.

Babar does not choose his opponents.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Babar does not choose his opponents.

Babar is not at fault, but this record shouldn’t be taken too seriously. All it shows is that we can’t beat England’s B team, we’re not ruthless when it comes to whitewashing minnows, and that we play the same opposition far too frequently.

I’m sure Babar would agree with me that we should only look at his captaincy stats in ODI’s when the team wins in England and Australia.

 

[Saj]

For context …

Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - L
South Africa - W
South Africa - L
South Africa B - W
England B - L
England B - L
England B - L
Australia B - L
Australia B - W
Australia B - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Nepal - W

Not trying to hate on Babar here but let’s be honest, 20 of those games have been against crappy teams and Second XI’s.

Yes you can say that not all of his opponents are the strongest but he cannot pick the opposition.

Tougher tests lie ahead - the matches in the Asia Cup against India and this year's World Cup will be good tests for his team and his captaincy.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

For context …

Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - W
Zimbabwe - L
South Africa - W
South Africa - L
South Africa B - W
England B - L
England B - L
England B - L
Australia B - L
Australia B - W
Australia B - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
West Indies - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
Netherlands - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - L
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - W
New Zealand - L
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Afghanistan - W
Nepal - W

Not trying to hate on Babar here but let’s be honest, 20 of those games have been against crappy teams and Second XI’s.

These opponents don't bowl underarm deliveries. If you're scoring runs against any international team it signifies that you're performing effectively.

 

[TeamPak95]

Babar is not at fault, but this record shouldn’t be taken too seriously. All it shows is that we can’t beat England’s B team, we’re not ruthless when it comes to whitewashing minnows, and that we play the same opposition far too frequently.

I’m sure Babar would agree with me that we should only look at his captaincy stats in ODI’s when the team wins in England and Australia.

Pretty much what has annoyed me since Pakistan won the CT17. Post-CT17, on average, they'd face weaker opponents in which they'd win a mass majority of the time and when they finally face a tough opponent, on average the tough opponent would be fielding a weaker XI so even if Pakistan win there isn't a 100% guarantee of where Pakistan at full strength truly lie. Obviously that is not Pakistan's fault and you could probably point fingers at the PCB for not organizing enough games against tougher opponents more frequently.

Like I understand that you can only face who is in front of you and if you are winning, then that's obviously a good thing. But what does it say about the team when, let's say in this case right now moving forward, you lose to India in all the games in the Asia Cup, and you lose to a full strength India, Australia, New Zealand, SA in the upcoming World Cup? Not trying to sound like a hater by any means, but there will be an asterisk next to this number 1 ODI ranking until Pakistan first plays quality opposition more consistently and win against them consistently.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

These opponents don't bowl underarm deliveries. If you're scoring runs against any international team it signifies that you're performing effectively.

What does it signify when your strongest xi can’t beat an England B team that were picked at the last minute.

Yes you can say that not all of his opponents are the strongest but he cannot pick the opposition.

Tougher tests lie ahead - the matches in the Asia Cup against India and this year's World Cup will be good tests for his team and his captaincy.

That’s why I said he’s not at fault, however we shouldn’t be glorifying his captaincy stats with the teams we’ve played against since Babar’s reign.

 

[MenInG]

Is Babar taking the foot off the gas?

Naseem needs more support - maybe another slip? Pakistan have to break this partnership soon

 

[Asad T]

Is Babar taking the foot off the gas?

Naseem needs more support - maybe another slip? Pakistan have to break this partnership soon

yeah i would like to see a slip with Shahdab bowling to 2 right handers. especially to gill who is struggling a bit

 

[pakistanbest]

Babar definitely missed a trick here. He planned for 50 overs and continued with that plan but a smart and innovative captain would think about bowling the pacers so that the opposition are bowled out rather than worrying about overs 40-50.

Pressure has been released and then he brings on Shaheen. Very poor from not just Babar but the coaching staff who should be advising him accordingly.

 

[Saj]

Released the pressure today and allowed Kishan and Hardik to settle at the crease by bowling his 2 spinners in tandem for 7 overs.

I think he should have brought Naseem or Shaheen on earlier in the partnership.

 

[Bewal Express]

Captaincy has been poor but also let down by poor fielding. Upto 20 runs have been conceeded by awful fielding

 

[Asad T]

Captaincy has been poor but also let down by poor fielding. Upto 20 runs have been conceeded by awful fielding

yes + 17 extras. so 37 free runs. This will hurt us

 

[IAJ]

I just don’t understand how you can go in with two ordinary spinners against India? It’s a no-brainer that you go with an extra seam-allrounder unless you have two mystery spinners. They keep making same mistakes.

Captaincy have been poor and fielding even worse.

Look at the body language of players now, seems like they have given up.

 

[Bewal Express]

I just don’t understand how you can go in with two ordinary spinners against India? It’s a no-brainer that you go with an extra seam-allrounder unless you have two mystery spinners. They keep making same mistakes.

Captaincy have been poor and fielding even worse.

Look at the body language of players now, seems like they have given up.

The other seamer is Faheem and he too is awful.

 

[Savak]

Pakistan's lack of quality in the spin department is going to hurt them major against quality sides not to mention Babars poor captaincy

 

[Grunge101]

When at 60-4, all your captain can think of is who will bowl overs 45-50, this is exactly what you deserve.

Watching Pakistan under his captaincy is frankly becoming torture now.

 

[pakistanbest]

Why has Shadab been brought back when 20 overs of spin have been completed. This is just brainless captaincy.

 

[Major]

I understood and defended his move to bowl 10 overs of spin, but to go for 11 overs, that means he is now reducing overs from pacers qouta. If he was going to do that than maybe bowl the pacers more at the start.


Babar has lost it completely.

 

[Grunge101]

When every single commentator has pointed out their inability to understand why fast bowlers weren't brought back when Kishan and Pandya were new at the crease, you being to realize there is no hope whatsoever as long as we continue playing under this guy as captain.

He hasn't learnt one bit.

 

[Grunge101]

Not difficult to imagine now is it, what would the scorecard have looked like if we hadn't waited till the end to bring back the two Shahs.

 

[Major]

Over no. 47th

Naseem has 2 left
Shaheen has 1 left

Babar ends up bowling with Shaheen.

Which means naseem will get one over and one over goes to Harris.

Naseem is the guy who has had an economy of 3.87

Babar ended up using haris full qouta and saved a naseem over. This guy is a complete lunatic in terms of captaincy, and this is very very very annoying now

 

[Major]

^^ basically over no.48

 

[Grunge101]

Every single commentator and pundit : bring back the pace attack when you have India staggering at 60-4.
Babar: I have a better idea. Let's the current duo get settled, post a decent score and then I'll bring them back. That's how I work

 

[YousafTheBeast]

When you look at Babar’s captaincy today, you just know that they made a plan before the game and they were going to stick with it regardless of the match situation. India could’ve been 66-6 and Babar would’ve still gone to the spinners.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

Where was the coaching staff. Why they hadn't sent a message to babar.

 

[TheSultan]

No doubt we’ll get the die hard fan base defending him but surely he needs to be asked questions of just what he was thinking

 

[IAJ]

Someone needs to have a hardtalk with him. He is a fabulous batsman but his captaincy is horrendous.

He had India under the pump today but lost all the momentum and this could have hurt him badly if Pakistan batted later and all came down to D/L. After having them 4 down you needed more quick wickets to strangle their innings more, but by persisting with gentle spin he let their batters settle and build a big partnership. Every single person pointed out this, apart from a few deluded fans.

 

[Saj]

That was so frustrating today.

Leaving Naseem with 5 overs at the end of the innings.

7 consecutive overs of Shadab and Nawaz bowling in tandem.

Allowing Pandya and Kishan to build their partnership with no pressure at all.

Not very assertive captaincy at all today - defensive and rather poor instead of going for the kill.

 

[Saj]

The best captains think on their feet and according to the match situation.

If you have to stick to the pre-match plans and need constant guidance from the coaching staff then you shouldn't be skipper.

Today was a prime example of Babar sticking to the plan of middle-overs spin irrespective of the match situation.

Absolutely ridiculous captaincy.

 

[Ali T]

Babar’s captaincy today wasn’t great. Thought he didn’t utilize Naseem Shah in the middle overs enough even though he has the ability to reverse swing.

However with that said I do like Babar for the influence he brings off field. He seems to be a no nonsense, let the batting do the talking type of guy.

He’s stays out of controversy and doesn’t seem to create any factions within the Pakistan team. For someone of his caliber, you often see egos take charge rather than a stable head which then paves ways for infighting, which we haven’t seen so far.

Whether he remains captain or not, he is hugely respected and can act as a good mentor for young cricketers starting their careers.

 

[pakistani pride]

Nothing new guys. He has done this so many times. Why is he even feeding India 20 overs of spin in the 1st place? When will he understand to go with 4 pace bowling options?

I mean he just never learns.

 

[Farah Sohail]

After quiet some time, Babar was again pathetic in his on field field captaincy today.Horrible horrible captaincy today... After we had India by the neck, he let Pandya and Ishan settle and build a partnership by feeding them continuously with spin, and not bringing Naseem or Haris Rauf earlier from one end…
Also, among the spinners, Salman Ali Agha was bowling much better than other spinners.. he was bowling tight.. why did the hell, he take off Salman Ali Agha and let Shadab continue, while Shadab and Nawaz both were being hammered? Also he miscalculated one over of fast bowlers in the end..otherwise there was no reason to bring Shadab again in 41st over..
I want Mickey Arthur to give good thrashing to Babar Azam for his horrible captaincy today

 

[Cricket Warrior]

After quiet some time, Babar was again pathetic in his on field field captaincy today.Horrible horrible captaincy today... After we had India by the neck, he let Pandya and Ishan settle and build a partnership by feeding them continuously with spin, and not bringing Naseem or Haris Rauf earlier from one end…
Also, among the spinners, Salman Ali Agha was bowling much better than other spinners.. he was bowling tight.. why did the hell, he take off Salman Ali Agha and let Shadab continue, while Shadab and Nawaz both were being hammered? Also he miscalculated one over of fast bowlers in the end..otherwise there was no reason to bring Shadab again in 41st over..
I want Mickey Arthur to give good thrashing to Babar Azam for his horrible captaincy today

This indicates that Babar may lack the ability to handle pressure effectively. He made some poor decisions today that could have potentially cost us the match.

 

[IAJ]

Babar’s captaincy today wasn’t great. Thought he didn’t utilize Naseem Shah in the middle overs enough even though he has the ability to reverse swing.

However with that said I do like Babar for the influence he brings off field. He seems to be a no nonsense, let the batting do the talking type of guy.

He’s stays out of controversy and doesn’t seem to create any factions within the Pakistan team. For someone of his caliber, you often see egos take charge rather than a stable head which then paves ways for infighting, which we haven’t seen so far.

Whether he remains captain or not, he is hugely respected and can act as a good mentor for young cricketers starting their careers.

I understand where you are coming from and I also think Babar is good guy, but it is also dangerous that a poor captain/tactician like him have got so much power that no one dares to question him, this may hurt the team big time in a crucial time.

If his captaincy is redicilous then he needs to be told so he can improve, we don’t want a Tendulkar alike captain. Then he should rather focus on his batting alone and let someone else take over the burden.

 

[Farabi]

Someone needs to have a hardtalk with him. He is a fabulous batsman but his captaincy is horrendous.

He had India under the pump today but lost all the momentum and this could have hurt him badly if Pakistan batted later and all came down to D/L. After having them 4 down you needed more quick wickets to strangle their innings more, but by persisting with gentle spin he let their batters settle and build a big partnership. Every single person pointed out this, apart from a few deluded fans.

I don’t think his captaincy overall is horrendous.
Specifically, this is a recurring problem where Babar is thinking the match HAS to run 50 overs. Many other captains do the same. But aggressive captains are willing to take these risks because if it didn’t pan out, then India would have had a field day at the end. But 1-2 more wickets would have ended the game.

 

[Farah Sohail]

I am thinking whether coaches, do point out captaincy mistakes to captains after the match or not?

 

[Cricket Warrior]

I understand where you are coming from and I also think Babar is good guy, but it is also dangerous that a poor captain/tactician like him have got so much power that no one dares to question him, this may hurt the team big time in a crucial time.

If his captaincy is redicilous then he needs to be told so he can improve, we don’t want a Tendulkar alike captain. Then he should rather focus on his batting alone and let someone else take over the burden.

its not about a bad captaincy its only about the handling pressure.

 

[IMMY69]

Babar is wonderfully gifted batsman but an awful captain.

 

[Farabi]

I am thinking whether coaches, do point out captaincy mistakes to captains after the match or not?

I was wondering the same.

 

[hitthestump]

Babar is wonderfully gifted batsman but an awful captain.

He is not an awful captain at all.

He might be tactically inept compared to his peers.

But what he has done to the dressing room is unparalled. Professionalism, work ethic and motivation are at the best levels we have seen since Imran Khan.

Let's be honest, this is not the most talented squad at all. Only Shaheen and Babar himself are truly world class cricketers.

Yet we are consistently overperforming in white ball cricket under Babar. He is really doing a very good job despite lack of tactical awareness.

 

[TheSultan]

He is not an awful captain at all.

He might be tactically inept compared to his peers.

But what he has done to the dressing room is unparalled. Professionalism, work ethic and motivation are at the best levels we have seen since Imran Khan.

Let's be honest, this is not the most talented squad at all. Only Shaheen and Babar himself are truly world class cricketers.

Yet we are consistently overperforming in white ball cricket under Babar. He is really doing a very good job despite lack of tactical awareness.

You can’t be a good captain if you are tactically inept. And you’ve admitted he is, so quite a contradictory post overall. Worth thinking things through before posting.

 

[Rana]

Tbf he did ok with India being 210-4 to 266 all out

India should have scored 300+

 

[Major]

He is not an awful captain at all.

He might be tactically inept compared to his peers.

But what he has done to the dressing room is unparalled. Professionalism, work ethic and motivation are at the best levels we have seen since Imran Khan.

Let's be honest, this is not the most talented squad at all. Only Shaheen and Babar himself are truly world class cricketers.

Yet we are consistently overperforming in white ball cricket under Babar. He is really doing a very good job despite lack of tactical awareness.

lol, that is just the social media drama they do, the shots they take with cameras.

 

[Ahmed216]

I understood and defended his move to bowl 10 overs of spin, but to go for 11 overs, that means he is now reducing overs from pacers qouta. If he was going to do that than maybe bowl the pacers more at the start.


Babar has lost it completely.

He may have miscalculated I will forgive him for that. But more disappointing is his non selection of another seamer against Indians who are generally good players of spin.
That shows his defensive mindset.
Also how can he not figure out that Pandya can't play pace well and feed him with spin from both ends when he arrived at the crease?

 

[MenInG]

The best captains think on their feet and according to the match situation.

If you have to stick to the pre-match plans and need constant guidance from the coaching staff then you shouldn't be skipper.

Today was a prime example of Babar sticking to the plan of middle-overs spin irrespective of the match situation.

Absolutely ridiculous captaincy.

It was almost as if he was frozen by Pakistan pacers early success!

 

[VForVendetta]

Tbf he did ok with India being 210-4 to 266 all out

India should have scored 300+

He shouldn't have allowed them to 200/4 in the first place & I see zero credit of him for those last 6 wickets. They were all due to Afridi/Naseem's brilliance & the typical failure of Indian late order. He is the luckiest skipper in the world due to having such amazing out & out match winning fast bowlers which makes his job much easier & helps to hide his incompetence & lack of presence of mind. When his fast bowlers don't get going he gets completely exposed (the 2nd Afgan match) & just walks through motion. I absolutely don't get this idea that he can't /shouldn't be criticized. He needs to have an open mind & think out of box if required. He is not going to get away against Eng/Aus with such idiotic gameplans.
Also he needs to swallow his ego & ask Inzy to install Imad in the world cup squad. There is no Saqlain,Ajmal, Afridi or Abdul Qadir waiting in the ranks, as of right now Pak don't have an aggressive match winning LOI spinner in their system. So the best possible scenario is to go with a bandage method where you go with someone who can atleast stop those bleeding in the middle overs. Imad is the best possible solution. Shadab is inconsistent, Osama needs a lot of tuning & Nawaz is as usual hopeless.

 

[TheSultan]

He shouldn't have allowed them to 200/4 in the first place & I see zero credit of him for those last 6 wickets. They were all due to Afridi/Naseem's brilliance & the typical failure of Indian late order. He is the luckiest skipper in the world due to having such amazing out & out match winning fast bowlers which makes his job much easier & helps to hide his incompetence & lack of presence of mind. When his fast bowlers don't get going he gets completely exposed (the 2nd Afgan match) & just walks through motion. I absolutely don't get this idea that he can't /shouldn't be criticized. He needs to have an open mind & think out of box if required. He is not going to get away against Eng/Aus with such idiotic gameplans.
Also he needs to swallow his ego & ask Inzy to install Imad in the world cup squad. There is no Saqlain,Ajmal, Afridi or Abdul Qadir waiting in the ranks, as of right now Pak don't have an aggressive match winning LOI spinner in their system. So the best possible scenario is to go with a bandage method where you go with someone who can atleast stop those bleeding in the middle overs. Imad is the best possible solution. Shadab is inconsistent, Osama needs a lot of tuning & Nawaz is as usual hopeless.

This is a seriously great post

 

[Farah Sohail]

Babar keeps making the same mistakes as a captain.. After having oppositions by the neck, he lets things slip frequently..

After new management, we had seen improvement from babar in captaincy but then he repeats exact same mistakes in pressure match

I really really hope Mickey Arthur and Grant bradburn points out his mistakes in captaincy to him..but not sure whether coaches do this or not?