(ANI Photo)
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif expressed his doubts about Babar Azam’s ability to handle pressure as a captain, stating that India would hold the edge over Pakistan due to their more balanced squad in the upcoming T20 World Cup match on Sunday.
The highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash, scheduled to take place in New York, is among the most eagerly anticipated matches of the ongoing tournament, which is being co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies.
“…the focus is on the game on June 9 against India. Babar will be under a lot of pressure because of the game against India rather than performing in the World Cup,” the 55-year-old former wicketkeeper-batter told PTI videos in an exclusive interview.
“But he has to learn to carry pressure, he should learn that from Virat and Rohit. They know how to carry the game. As a batter Babar is one of the best but as a captain and leader, there’s a lot that he needs to learn,” he added.
Latif emphasized that India possesses superior spinners, and judging by their current form, Rohit Sharma’s team holds the edge as favorites for a victory on Sunday.
“Kuldeep Yadav is that one player who if remains fit for India throughout the World Cup, he can cause trouble for batters. He is India’s key bowler and also a key to success. Given the current form and stats definitely India has an advantage ahead of June 9,” he said.
Latif highlighted that Pakistan’s level of preparedness is far from what it was during their strong showings in the 2021 and 2022 editions, where they reached the finals.
Latif emphasized that India possesses superior spinners, and judging by their current form, Rohit Sharma’s team holds the edge as favorites for a victory on Sunday.
“The team doesn’t know who their openers will be and what they have tried has failed miserably,” he pointed out.
Latif lamented the decline of Pakistan’s bowling, especially the pacers. He blamed poor fitness for it.
“A lot of bowlers like Shaheen, Naseem, Rauf, Shadab came back from injury and now Imad Wasim is injured. The biggest issue has been the fitness of the bowlers,” he said.
“Former greats like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Asif were way fitter than them and never used to miss any Tests or ODIs. But these guys, despite playing shorter formats, don’t have adequate fitness,” he added.
He also criticised the selection of bowlers who play similar roles in the side.
“…they bring back Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim. Earlier when these two bowlers used to play for Pakistan and in the PSL, they used to bowl the early overs between 1-4.
“Now, Rauf and Shaheen perform the same role, if you have four bowlers with the same role, who will bowl in the middle overs?” he asked.
He lauded India for getting their bowling combination right.
“Look at India, they have got Kuldeep, Axar, Jadeja and Chahal who can bowl in the middle and also the early overs. Pakistan couldn’t develop Abrar Ahmed much. If Shadab Khan goes for runs in the middle overs, Pakistan doesn’t have a lot of cover,” he said.
Latif also questioned the timing of South African Gary Kirsten’s appointment as Pakistan coach.
“The timing of his joining is very wrong. He joined the team on May 19 after the IPL season for Gujarat Titans ended,” Latif pointed out.
“He only knows players by their names, but when you are going to the World Cup then you at least need to have spent at least a year with the players. He did not get this time and the Pakistan board is to blame for that,” he said.
Speaking about Virat Kohli, Latif mentioned, “Virat has a significant following in Pakistan, both among fans and players alike. Similar to how I used to feel about Sachin Tendulkar during his playing days, I never wished for him to get out.”
“The world was paying to watch him bat but I was sitting behind the stumps and enjoying it for free,” he recalled on a lighter note.
“Virat Kohli is a different player…Virat is a different player after this IPL…It will be really interesting to see where he bats in this World Cup.”
Speaking about Virat Kohli, Latif mentioned, “Virat has a significant following in Pakistan, both among fans and players alike. Similar to how I used to feel about Sachin Tendulkar during his playing days, I never wished for him to get out.”
“Babar only has Rizwan and occasionally the support of Fakhar Zaman. Babar’s quality is way above his teammates and I think this acts as a disadvantage for him.”
