(AFP Photo)
Basit Ali, a former Pakistan cricketer, intensified his criticism of Babar Azam following Pakistan’s loss to India in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. This came after he previously accused Babar of showing favoritism.
Following Pakistan’s narrow defeat against India, cricket legend Wasim Akram added fuel to the fire by asserting that star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and captain Babar Azam are not on speaking terms, thereby confirming the alleged discord between the two. Akram even went as far as advocating for their removal from the team.
Basit Ali dismisses the on-field friendship between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi as insincere.
Presently, despite Azhar Mehmood, the assistant coach of the Pakistan cricket team, vehemently refuting all speculation by asserting that Babar and Shaheen remain amicable and in regular communication, a recent development following the IND vs PAK match in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 contradicts such assertions.
In alignment with Akram’s viewpoint, a former head coach of the Pakistan women’s team criticized Babar for assuming the captaincy subsequent to being requested to step down across all formats following Pakistan’s lackluster performance in the ODI World Cup 2023 held in India.
It is noteworthy that Shaheen Afridi was appointed as Pakistan’s T20I captain subsequent to Babar’s removal. However, following a solitary disappointing series, Babar was reinstated as the captain for white-ball cricket, leading to a discord between the two pivotal players of the national team.
Basit further alleged that Babar and Shaheen only engage in superficial communication on the field for appearances, with no genuine interaction off the field. Criticizing Babar, the former Pakistani batsman contended that his sole motivation in reclaiming the captaincy was to sever ties with Afridi, consequently fragmenting the team into factions.
Basit Ali says Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi’s friendship is now over
Moreover, Ali attributed the subpar performance of the Men in Green in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 to the simmering discord between Babar and Shaheen, highlighting that their estrangement has adversely affected team morale given their former friendship has dissolved.
Speaking on Sports Tak, Basit Ali remarked, “The division between Shaheen and Babar has fractured the team dynamic. Regrettably, our team is now divided into factions. Babar should not have taken on the captaincy without resolving issues with Shaheen beforehand.”
He further elaborated, “Their once strong friendship has soured. This deterioration has had a ripple effect on the Pakistan team, significantly impacting its on-field performance.”
When questioned about their current communication, Ali stated that while Babar and Shaheen maintain on-field interactions, there is a palpable tension between them within the dressing room, indicating that their rapport has deteriorated significantly.
He said “They talk on the ground. Not outside the ground.”
It’s worth mentioning that Pakistan endured consecutive losses in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, facing setbacks against both the USA and India in their initial Group A fixtures. These defeats significantly jeopardized their prospects of advancing to the Super 8s stage.
Nevertheless, the Men in Green staged a remarkable comeback, clinching a resounding victory over Canada in their final Group A encounter in New York on June 11th. Securing a seven-wicket win, Pakistan demonstrated their resilience and revived their hopes of progressing further in the tournament.
