Former Pakistan and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif called out Babar Azam for displaying poor skills as a leader after the PCB decided to send seven players and two coaches back from England following the team’s horror run in England. The defeats in the opening two Tests didn’t sit well with the Mohsin Naqvi-led board, and on Monday evening, players such as Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq were told to head back to Pakistan.
Moreover, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also not spared as the duo left alongside the seven players. Latif felt that if Babar had true leadership qualities, he would have given up the captaincy after what had happened with the rest of his unit and the coaching staff.
It is worth noting that Babar was named Test captain just a few months ago, replacing Shan Masood after Bangladesh defeated Pakistan in the two-match Test series.
“Babar should have resigned here. Half of the team has been sent back home. If I were in his place, I would have given up the captaincy. You have become a dummy captain. There’s a difference between a leader and a captain,” said Latif during a discussion on a YouTube show.
“You have sent seven players back. Imam, I understand, was injured. But still, you are sending six players back. You sent back your coach, your mentor. The coach who won the Champions Trophy. You sent Umar Gul back. You aren’t standing up for your team. Your coach has been sidelined, and you are sitting quietly. It shows that the PCB always needs a dummy captain,” he added.
Babar’s poor run
The Pakistan captain missed the series opener against England due to a wrist injury but made a comeback for the second match at Lord’s, where the right-hander returned with scores of 8 and 6.
In the second innings, he was all at sea against Jofra Archer and the ugly dismissal against a short ball raised eyebrows worldwide. The first Test ended in three days, while the second only went to four because rain played spoilsport on all the days.
On Monday evening, the PCB confirmed that seven players and two coaches have indeed been released from the squad. Mike Hesson, the white-ball coach will now oversee the proceedings for the last and final Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
