Shahid Afridi: “The Australia series is a significant one and I understand this is a huge responsibility. Regarding captaincy, I don’t think there should be any changes, especially in Test cricket. Babar Azam should continue to lead”
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Iconic Pakistan big-hitter Shahid Afridi believes it was a bad move to remove Babar Azam as Test captain ahead of the upcoming three-match series against Australia.
Mohammad Amir: “For the T20I format, with the T20 World Cup on the horizon and a series of T20 matches and a Test series against Australia lined up before the mega event, I pick Imad Wasim”
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Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir believed that Imad Wasim would have been the best option as T20I captain, but the spinner is no longer eligible as he recently announced his retirement from international cricket.
Shoaib Malik: “He can do wonders for Pakistan as a player”
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Senior all-rounder Shoaib Malik believes Babar Azam can do wonders for Pakistan now that he is not captain anymore.
Abdul Razzaq: “If you want to change captain, then you have the option of Sarfaraz. Rizwan and Shan Masood are options as well. A captain should not be just a good cricketer, he should be a good person as well”
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Former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq said Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shan Masood were all suitable candidates to replace Babar Azam as Test captain.
Mohammad Yousuf: “Any good player should be allowed to continue as a captain for a long time. He [was] the captain because he has the ability. He did not become the captain because he is related to the PCB chairman. He [was] a genuine skipper”
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New Pakistan Under-19 head coach Mohammad Yousuf has defended Babar Azam, saying he wasn’t appointed captain since he was related to the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Shoaib Malik: “I gave an opinion in the past as well that Babar Azam should leave captaincy. This is my personal opinion. Babar does not think out of the box as a captain”
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Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik pointed out that he previously wanted Babar Azam gone as captain since he couldn’t “think out of the box.”
Hardik Pandya: “Babar and Rizwan were timid. They didn’t take any chances”
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India all-rounder Hardik Pandya admitted he was shocked at how “timid” the Pakistan batting duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were during their 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup clash.
Mohammad Amir: “Babar is a big player for Pakistan and there is no doubt about it”
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Left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir has thrown his support behind batsman Babar Azam, branding him as a “big player for Pakistan.”
Gundappa Viswanath: “Even though Babar Azam is not among runs, he can make runs comfortably”
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Former India batsman Gundappa Viswanath is optimistic that Pakistan superstar Babar Azam will return to his best with the bat.
Inzamam-ul-Haq: “The same is the case for Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shan Masood and Imad Wasim”
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Former Pakistan chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shan Masood and Imad Wasim’s international careers are not over as they are still capable of making a comeback.
