Dig At Imran Khan? Shoaib Akhtar Slams 'Einstein' Who Recommended Babar Azam's Name For Captaincy

23/06/2024

dig at imran khan? shoaib akhtar slams 'einstein' who recommended babar azam's name for captaincy

Shoaib Akhtar took an indirect dig at Imran Khan and asked who the "Einstein" was who recommended Babar Azam's name for captaincy. Akhtar did not mention Imran's name while slamming Babar Azam's captaincy but it was clear that he was slamming Pakistan's only ODI World Cup-winning captain. Babar-led Pakistan struggled in the 2024 T20 World Cup and crashed out from the league stage of the tournament.

"Who made Babar Azam the captain in the first place? Who was the Einstein? I need to know that guy. Does he qualify for this job? Does he even know anything about captaincy? I've been saying that Babar Azam is not a captain material," Akhtar said on Butt Sports TV.

"What's going to happen to Babar now? He is now going to come down at number 4. He has to finish the games. He has to win the games, if he doesn't, he won't be able to keep his place in T20I. I am telling you right now. He won't be able to find his place in ODIs if he can't finish. The finisher Babar has to come out again. That's when the character comes out. He needs to get in that kind of a position. I am bluntly telling this to Babar, you need to remain a superstar. Get to know how to finish games."

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In 2022, Imran Khan had revealed that he recommended Babar's name for captaincy to the Pakistan Cricket Board. The right-handed batsman was Pakistan's captain in the 2012 U-19 World Cup, where they lost to Unmukt Chand's India in the semi-final.

"I only watched him [Babar] play twice and immediately asked the head of the cricket board, you must make him the captain because he is genuinely world-class. He is exceptional and I haven’t seen a player with such versatility and correct technique, such stroke play and temperament; he could go anywhere from here. Babar as the captain makes a lot of sense because you want your captain to be world-class so that he commands respect," Imran told Piers Morgan in 2022.

Babar-led Pakistan had a forgettable run in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Men in Green failed to qualify for the second round of the 50-over World Cup and crashed out from the league stage. They also lost to India. Pakistan haven't cleared the league stage of an ODI WC since 2011.

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Given their performance in the past two T20 World Cups, there were high hopes from Pakistan in the 2024 T20 WC. They played the semi-final in 2021 and lost to England in the final in 2022.

Pakistan failed to emulate their performance in the 2024 T20 WC and failed to make it to the Super 8. The defeat against the USA cost them. The 2009 T20 WC Champions lost to the Monank Patel-led side in the Super Over.

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