Mohammad Hafeez has questioned whether Babar Azam should be considered a ‘great’ Pakistan player, and said that those who give him that label “probably haven’t seen greats of the game”.
Mr Hafeez was speaking on a Pakistani television program when he made his comments. “It’s not that he performed poorly,” he said. “As a cricketer and as a player, his record is good, but unfortunately the expectations and comparisons against him are not fair. He is a very good player and one of the best in Pakistan’s current squad. A player. But if you compare him to the greats, it’s unfair to Babar’s talent.
“I have my doubts if he is called the greatest Pakistani player. Anyone who says this has probably never seen the greats of this game in Pakistan or around the world. Yes, he is very He’s a very good player. He’s not great yet. He has a lot to prove right, but there are still some stages in his career. We mark him before he reaches this stage. That puts pressure on him and when he can’t play in big tournaments, people end up treating it the wrong way because expectations are too high. ”
Babar today (October 27) scored his 31st ODI goal in a half-century against South Africa in a must-win World Cup match for Pakistan. After consecutive losses to India, Australia and Afghanistan, Babar faced repeated demands to resign as Pakistan captain. Following speculation about Babar’s future leadership of the team, the PCB issued a statement urging fans to “support the team as they aim for a triumphant comeback at the mega event.”
“If you talk about Babar’s captaincy, I have said it before. We haven’t seen the maturity and technical growth that should have come in the last three years,” Hafeez continued. “Either he has to take the decision himself or the head of the cricket board has to take the decision, we have to take that pressure off Babar and allow him to become great. ” Or we have to see if he can shine under that pressure.
“If this pressure is bothering Babar and he thinks it’s interfering with his game, he needs to get a call if he wants to keep going.” If Pakistan wants to contribute and reach that (higher) level, some of the biggest names in the sport have already arrived in Pakistan. Babar needs to think honestly about this decision.
“But in these World Cup matches, he needs to have full support and also needs to improve his game.” Must stay in: Other captains have done it, Rohit Sharma has been successful because he is from the front lead. ”
Hafeez played 27 T20Is under Babar’s captaincy. He retired from international cricket in his 2021 year.
To bet on the World Cup with our Match Centre Partners bet365 head here.