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Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been on the receiving end of widespread criticism after his side's sub-par performances in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Afridi said that he wanted to see Babar enter the list of Pakistan's great captains but it did not happen. The all-rounder said that there was no sword dangling over his head as he had ample time to prepare and deliver as captain which he failed to do in the mega event.
“I’m a fan of Babar. Babar is a big player, for me he is like a younger brother. I wanted that Babar join the list of top captains in the world. He’s been captain since four years or so, there was never a sword hanging over his head. We all supported him during this phase. We thought in three-four years he would be well-groomed to handle the responsibility as a captain. He would mold himself as a captain. But this didn’t happen. He could not improve in this period and could not prove himself as a good leader. We have seen plenty of errors during the World Cup,” said Afridi during an event in Karachi.
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“A leader’s role is to take everyone along. He cannot have just one or two players who are doing well, he needs to have eight or nine players who are playing good cricket and whom he can consult on decisions,” he added.
While there have been rumours that Babar is likely to get sacked as captain, Afridi feels that he should continue to lead in Test cricket whereas they should not make a decision on the white-ball captaincy in haste.
“When it comes to the Test team I don’t think there needs to be a change in captaincy. Babar should lead in Tests. (In other formats) The PCB has time on their hands (to make any decision). They should invite senior players to discuss the way ahead,” the 43-year-old said.
Afridi believes that the World Cup squad did not lack in talent but blamed them for the dismal show in favourable conditions.
“We have time to take decisions. I think players are responsible for this debacle. There is a lot of talent in the team that had gone to India for the World Cup. Everything, including the conditions, were suitable for the team. But players couldn’t perform,” he further added.
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