Babar Azam's ‘authority’ questioned after PCB call the shots and hijack Pakistan's squad in England: ‘How do you lead?’

Michael Atherton questioned Babar Azam's authority after PCB replaced seven players from the Test squad.

Updated on: Sep 4, 2026, 08:24:01 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Former England captain Michael Atherton questioned Babar Azam, and more importantly, the authority cricket captains are given in Pakistan after the PCB decided to replace seven players in the Test squad for the ongoing series against the Three Lions. After losses in the opening two Tests, the PCB sent seven players back home, including Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq. Moreover, two coaches, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, met the same fate, and Mike Hesson would now be in charge for the third and final Test in Edgbaston.

Michael Atherton questioned Babar Azam's authority (Action Images via Reuters)

Babar has been in the line of fire ever since the PCB made the decision official. Earlier, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif had stated that the 31-year-old should have resigned as soon as seven players were given the marching orders. Latif went all out, labelling Babar a “dummy captain.”

Also Read: Nasser Hussain lashes out at PCB for making ‘situation’ of Pakistan worse: ‘What they did has made them a laughingstock’

Atherton has now jumped in, saying nothing will change for Pakistan cricket, even if they somehow manage to defeat England in the third and final Test, which begins on September 9.

“Not in this instance, no, because of the damage it will do in the long term. This is no way to manage players and no way to build a long-term vision at all,” Atherton said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

“I feel it's a horrible position for a captain, Babar Azam, to be in - and what kind of authority does he or indeed any captain of Pakistan have in this outfit?” he added.

‘How do you lead?’

The former England captain further asked how Babar will lead the team going forward, knowing what transpired. He added that he agrees that captains are not as powerful as back in the day, but still, they have some say in what goes around the team.

“One understands that the captain is not all-powerful these days, you're not going back 30 years ago when they perhaps ran the show, but they have to have some authority within a team,” said Atherton.

"Given what's happened, how do you lead that team now?" he added.

Babar reclaimed the Test captaincy from Shan Masood earlier this year after Bangladesh defeated Pakistan in the two-match series. Under Babar, Pakistan drew the series against the West Indies before coming to England.

The right-hander didn't play the series opener against England due to an injury but came back into the lineup for the next Test at Lord's, where he returned with scores of 8 and 6.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
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.Read More

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