Wasim Akram criticises Babar Azam amid Pakistan's Test debacle [Source: AFP]After Pakistan got humiliated in England during the 3-game Test series, former legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram lashed out at Babar Azam for accepting Test captaincy for a second term. Babar, who quit as Pakistan’s all-format captain after the 2023 ODI World Cup exit, was reappointed as Test captain earlier this year. He replaced Shan Masood, who delivered disappointing results during his 2-year tenure.Wasim Akram lashes out at Babar AzamHowever, Pakistan’s fate hasn’t changed in the red-ball format since Babar Azam’s return as captain. They drew the 2-game series against West Indies and got whitewashed by England earlier this month.In the aftermath of this fallout, legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram opined that Babar was wrong in accepting Pakistan’s Test captaincy again. He could have avoided the humiliation as his move was unnecessary.“I do not want to blame anyone, and I could be wrong as well. But in my opinion, Babar should not have taken the captaincy. All of this was unnecessary," Akram said during an event in Manchester.Also Read - Wasim Akram Gives Up On Pakistan CricketWasim Akram questions Babar’s role as captainInterestingly, Wasim Akram’s frustration stemmed from the events that happened after the second Pakistan vs England Test. The PCB made major changes to the team and coaching structure. 7 players were sent home along with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Wahab Riaz. But Babar Azam said at the toss before the third Test that he was unaware of these changes as the PCB didn’t consult him. Reacting to this, Wasim Akram questioned what authority or involvement the captain actually had. “Babar Azam said he did not know. If you don’t know, then what were you doing here? Were you here to sell chickpeas? As a player or as a person, I believe that if your leader or captain does not stand by you, you cannot give 100 per cent,” he added.Akram also suggested that Babar Azam could have stepped away from the captaincy after Pakistan went 0-2 down in the three-game Test series, while continuing to contribute to the team as a batter. “My suggestion is that after the second Test, Babar should have said that he would play only as a player.”Babar Azam’s captaincy safe despite England horrorIt's safe to say that the recent England tour was nothing but a total disaster for Pakistan cricket. Not only did that loss happen on the field, but off the field, the humiliation was far worse.From coaches getting sacked to players receiving summons from cybercrime agencies, fans have started to lose trust in Pakistan cricket’s ecosystem as a whole. However, despite the fallout, Babar Azam is likely to be retained as captain. According to reports, the PCB wants continuity and stability in Test cricket and hence, changing captain after just two series seems an unreasonable ask for them.Therefore, Babar Azam will continue leading Pakistan in Test cricket momentarily. Their next assignment is against Sri Lanka in the month of November.Also Read - ETPL Final Live Streaming, Live Telecast- Where To Watch Edinburgh Castle Rockers vs Belfast Wolves 2026?
