Pakistan skipper Babar Azam opened up on criticism from former players on their performance in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. He expressed that it’s easy to take to public platforms to give opinions. Pakistan has had a mixed tournament, winning four out of eight matches. They are alive in the semi-final race but with a very minuscule chance.
Many former cricketers, including Shoaib Malik and Moin Khan, have been very vocal criticising Pakistan’s performance. Ahead of Pakistan’s final league stage match against England, Babar Azam opened up on the criticism. He expressed that if the critics want to offer him any advice they should directly contact him and not talk on public platforms. He said,
“I have been captaining my team for the last three years and I have never felt this way. It’s just because I have not performed the way I should have in the World Cup, that’s why people are saying that I am under pressure. I don’t think I was under any pressure or felt any different because of this. I try to give my best in the field during the fielding. During batting, I think about how I should make runs and make the team win.”
“It depends on how you take such a thing. Everyone has their point of view and their way of thinking. Everyone is saying something different. He should be like this, or like that. If someone has to give me advice, everyone has my number. It is easy to advise on TV. If you want to give me some advice, you can message me,” he added.
No idea what decisions you are talking about: Babar Azam
Pakistan’s performance in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 has attracted a lot of criticism. There have also been claims about team decisions being made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) directly from Lahore. However, Babar Azam has rejected such claims. He said during the press conference,
“I have no idea what decisions you are talking about. The decisions we make here, regarding selections of players — are the decision of the coaches and the captain.”
“We go with the best combination of conditions and situations. Sometimes we have succeeded and sometimes we haven’t. About the captaincy — as I said, once we go back to Pakistan or after this match, we will see what happens. But right now, I am not focusing on this, my focus is on the next match,” he added.
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