Former Pakistan and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif called out Babar Azam for displaying poor skills as a leader after the PCB decided to send seven players and two coaches back from England following the team's horror run in England. The defeats in the opening two Tests didn't sit well with the Mohsin Naqvi-led board, and on Monday evening, players such as Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq were told to head back to Pakistan.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif called out Babar Azam (AFP)
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Moreover, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also not spared as the duo left alongside the seven players. Latif felt that if Babar had true leadership qualities, he would have given up the captaincy after what had happened with the rest of his unit and the coaching staff.
It is worth noting that Babar was named Test captain just a few months ago, replacing Shan Masood after Bangladesh defeated Pakistan in the two-match Test series.
Deep Dive
Why did the PCB decide to send seven players back home from England?
The PCB decided to send seven players back home following a poor performance, losing the first two Tests by significant margins, which raised concerns about the team's ability to compete.
What criticisms did Rashid Latif make about Babar Azam's leadership?
Rashid Latif criticized Babar Azam for failing to stand up for the team and the sidelined coach, suggesting that true leaders would have resigned in light of such poor results.
How has Babar Azam's performance as a captain affected his position?
Babar Azam's performance as captain has been scrutinized due to a lack of wins and his failure to achieve significant scores, leading to calls for him to step down from his role.
“Babar should have resigned here. Half of the team has been sent back home. If I were in his place, I would have given up the captaincy. You have become a dummy captain. There's a difference between a leader and a captain,” said Latif during a discussion on a YouTube show.
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“Babar should have resigned here. Half of the team has been sent back home. If I were in his place, I would have given up the captaincy. You have become a dummy captain. There's a difference between a leader and a captain,” said Latif during a discussion on a YouTube show.
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“You have sent seven players back. Imam, I understand, was injured. But still, you are sending six players back. You sent back your coach, your mentor. The coach who won the Champions Trophy. You sent Umar Gul back. You aren't standing up for your team. Your coach has been sidelined, and you are sitting quietly. It shows that the PCB always needs a dummy captain,” he added.
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Babar's poor run
The Pakistan captain missed the series opener against England due to a wrist injury but made a comeback for the second match at Lord's, where the right-hander returned with scores of 8 and 6.
In the second innings, he was all at sea against Jofra Archer and the ugly dismissal against a short ball raised eyebrows worldwide. The first Test ended in three days, while the second only went to four because rain played spoilsport on all the days.
On Monday evening, the PCB confirmed that seven players and two coaches have indeed been released from the squad. Mike Hesson, the white-ball coach will now oversee the proceedings for the last and final Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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Home/Cricket/Babar Azam called ‘dummy captain’ after failing to stand up for ‘mentor’ Sarfaraz Ahmed: ‘Coach sidelined, you’re quiet'
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