Former India World Cup-winning captain and legendary all-rounder, Kapil Dev has come to the defense of Babar Azam's captaincy following Pakistan's less-than-ideal performance in the World Cup 2023. Despite Babar's standing as a top batter in both ODI and T20I formats according to ICC rankings, his leadership skills came under fire after Pakistan failed to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
The criticism centered around Babar's leadership during the World Cup, particularly his decision-making in pivotal moments of the game. Observers also questioned whether the dual role of captain and key batsman was affecting his performance at the crease. While some former cricketers and experts suggested that the burden of captaincy might have hindered his batting, Babar himself did not agree with this assessment.
This subject was broached by former England cricketer Michael Atherton during a post-match press conference, where Babar affirmed his commitment to continue leading the team and contributing his experience.
Speaking on The Ranveer Show, Kapil offered a different perspective on the matter, suggesting that the criticism against Babar was based more on his recent performance rather than his overall record as captain. Kapil highlighted Babar's approach to the game, emphasizing his passion and talent. He encouraged people to consider the broader picture of Babar's captaincy, rather than judging him solely on the recent World Cup campaign.
"If you say that Babar Azam is not the right choice [for captaincy] today, it is because you are looking at just his current performance. He was the same captain, who made Pakistan team No.1 [in ICC ODI rankings] six months ago," said Kapil.
"When someone gets out for zero, 99 per cent of the people would want him to be dropped. If an ordinary player comes and scores a brilliant hundred, then they call him a superstar. So don't look at just current performance. Look at how he has approached the game, how much passion and talent he has," he added.
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