As the Pakistan cricket team struggles on the pitch, a lot seems to be going wrong behind the scenes. Consecutive Test defeats have put skipper Babar Azam under mounting pressure, with both his tactical decision-making and his batting form coming under scrutiny. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali claimed that all is not well between Babar and premier fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, blaming the tension between the two senior figures as a central factor behind the national side’s prolonged slump over the last few years.
The captaincy has turned into a game of musical chairs for the Pakistan Cricket Board. The likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood have repeatedly passed the leadership reins from one teammate to another.
Basit believes Pakistan cricket hit an absolute low when a leadership dispute broke out between Babar and Shaheen.
“Babar Azam is not a strong captain. I am not speaking about this based on the performance in England. He has made many wrong decisions. The main reason for Pakistan cricket’s downfall is the rift between Shaheen and Babar. When there was a falling-out between the two over the captaincy, Pakistan cricket was ruined that day,” Basit said on the ‘Game Plan’ show.
“Many statements were made, saying Shaheen is a very good bowler and Babar is a very good batter. The rift, whoever created that, the side effects can be seen now,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PCB has made sweeping changes to the Pakistan squad ahead of the third and final Test against England, replacing nearly half of the group whilst parting ways with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
These changes follow Pakistan’s 194-run defeat in the second Test, which allowed England to secure an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Pakistan have called up five uncapped players alongside Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who hold a combined experience of just 10 matches. The five uncapped additions are Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah.
Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, who serve as head coach and bowling coach respectively for Pakistan’s white-ball setup, have also joined the Test coaching staff.
The PCB has released seven players from the squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad.
With ANI Inputs