Babar Azam Fires Back At Aaqib Javed After Public Ridiculing

Babar Azam fires back at Aaqib Javed [Source - AFP]

Pakistan have been through a couple of weeks of absolute humiliation amid the ongoing mess over selection and fixing allegations. Now, with the third Test against England at Edgbaston starting Wednesday, September 9, Babar Azam faced the media ahead of the game.

With Pakistan’s England tour already under intense scrutiny following the controversy surrounding the team and its performance, Babar Azam faced several difficult questions ahead of the final Test. Among them was the public ridicule from Aaqib Javed over Pakistan's recent selection crisis.

Aaqib Javed had publicly blamed Babar Azam for Pakistan’s selection mess

Pakistan lost the first two Tests of the three-match series against England, facing heavy criticism for their horrendous outings at Headingley and Lord’s. Aaqib Javed publicly questioned the decisions made by captain Babar Azam regarding Pakistan's playing XI for these two Test matches.

Aaqib Javed, who serves as Pakistan’s Director of High Performance and is also part of the national selection committee, claimed that Babar and Sarfaraz Ahmed had better options available but failed to use them, particularly pointing towards young fast bowler Ubaid Shah.

Also Read: Aaqib Javed Major Controversies: From Imam-ul-Haq Drama To Match-Fixing Allegations

According to Aaqib, Pakistan needed more pace and variety in its bowling attack, and he said he had personally spoken to Babar and Sarfaraz about bringing Ubaid into the playing XI, taking a direct dig at their decision-making.

Babar Azam hits back at Aaqib Javed’s criticism

Fast forward to one day before the third Test in Birmingham, Babar Azam finally broke his silence on Aaqib Javed’s public ridicule.

Asked about the blame coming from Pakistan’s Director of High Performance, Babar responded calmly, making it clear that when results don't come, such criticism and talk will naturally continue. 

He insisted that although the decisions made by him and recently sacked coach Sarfaraz Ahmed made sense, Pakistan couldn't execute the plans properly at Headingley and Lord's. 

“If we speak about the last match, as a team, we didn’t play well in all departments. And until you are not playing well, such things are going to be said [regarding Aaqib Javed’s criticism]. But we took the decision we felt was right regarding the playing XI. Unfortunately, we could not get the result in our favour,” Babar said.

Babar did not get into a war of words with Aaqib Javed over his public ridicule, instead admitting that Pakistan’s poor performances had invited criticism. At the same time, he stood by the playing XI, saying the team had made the decision it felt was right.

Babar Azam, Aaqib Javed spat sums up serious clash in Pakistan cricket

Aaqib Javed has already faced criticism from Pakistan fans over his handling of Pakistan's selection crisis, and Babar Azam’s latest response has only added another layer, as the captain refused to accept the blame.

At a time when Pakistan cricket is already looking like a circus, the public clash between its captain and Director of High Performance has only made the matters worse, especially when such disagreements are being played out openly in front of everyone.

Babar’s own place may come under serious pressure if Pakistan struggle again in the third Test of the three-match series, but his calm response has shifted attention back towards performance, while Aaqib’s position, recently retained, could face scrutiny again. 

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