Abdul Razzaq: “You should give him (Babar) the free hand”
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Abdul Razzaq, the legendary Pakistan all-rounder, said captain Babar Azam should be given the freedom to lead the team as he sees fit.
He noted that there is too much scrutiny around Azam and every decision he makes as captain, which is doing more harm than good.
Instead of picking apart his choices, Razzaq wants everyone to let the 28-year-old have some breathing space to that he is free to lead the side without any added pressure.
“You should give him (Babar) the free hand,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam has done well with the bat in the last couple of months as he made 76 runs in two Tests against Sri Lanka at an average of 25.33.
He then went on to score 113 runs in three ODIs against Afghanistan, which included two fifties, at an average of 37.66.
Most recently, he was in action in the Asia Cup and accumulated 207 runs in five matches, which included a top score of 151, at an average of 51.75.
Pakistan started the tournament with a comprehensive 238-run win over Nepal before sharing one point apiece with India as their match was abandoned due to rain.
Despite this, the men in green booked their spot in the Super Fours and maintained their momentum as they beat Bangladesh by seven wickets.
However, everything went downhill from here as Pakistan lost to India by 228 runs.
They still had a chance to qualify for the Asia Cup final in their match against Sri Lanka on September 14 in Colombo, but they fell short as they lost by two wickets via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS) method.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 Asia Cup:Â Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zaman Khan.
Travelling reserve:Â Tayyab Tahir