Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has blamed head coach Aaqib Javed for Babar Azam’s failures. He mentioned that the star batter was forced to open the innings in the Champions Trophy, which is why his performance was ordinary.
Babar has been dropped from Pakistan’s T20I team, and the batter is under scrutiny for his inconsistency. Critics are questioning his place in the team across formats in international cricket.
Babar was given a new role to open the innings after regular opener Saim Ayub was ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to an injury. The star batter failed in the tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa. Despite his struggles, the team management headed by Aaqib Javed continued with him as an opener, and it backfired in the end.
Although Babar scored a fifty against New Zealand, he wasted many balls and managed just 23 runs against India.
Imad stated that Babar is the best Pakistan batter in ODIs, and his records are unmatched. “People want the exclusion of Babar Azam from ODIs as well. Nobody is as good and as talented as Babar in the fifty-over format. Nobody can even think about achieving what Babar has achieved.
“His record is magnificent at the No.3 slot, but you made him open the innings in the Champions Trophy. He is the only player in the team who used to play 40 overs. You failed to find an opener in Pakistan, and your decision impacted Babar and the team,” Imad Wasim said.
Imad Wasim added that whoever is joining the team management makes changes without realizing the consequences.
‘Whoever comes to the power, the changes are seen. We are not heading in the right direction. We are going backward. If we don’t improve, Pakistan will not qualify for the next Champions Trophy.”