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Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik requested Babar Azam to "please leave captaincy" of the team after their narrow seven-run loss to India at the 2024 T20 World Cup. He believes Babar can show his "class" if he's free from additional responsibilities.
Babar left captaincy of all three formats after the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. After his replacement, Shaheen Shah Afridi led in a 4-1 T20I series defeat to New Zealand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reinstated Babar at the helm on March 31, causing tumult and debates.
In his first major tournament back at the top, Pakistan have lost back-to-back matches to underdogs USA and rivals India to reach the verge of group-stage disqualification from the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"I have been saying for a long time, please leave captaincy," Malik said on Ten Sports. "You are a class player, and you will only be able to show your class when you do not have additional responsibilities on you. If Babar stays away from captaincy, it will be good for him," Shoaib Malik said.
Babar has courted immense criticism at the World Cup for his captaincy. His tactics have been questionable and he has lost favors from a section of fans for his off-field comments, which have lacked self-reflection about his batting failures and have been overtly critical of other members.
If your brain doesn't kick in in these situations, when will it?: Malik to Babar
Malik also pointed out that the failure to chase 120 against India was perhaps the worst result for Pakistan in a long time because it was a situation that Babar and the rest of the core team were well set to overcome.
"People keep talking about Babar and Rizwan's strike rates, so you brought in Saim Ayub," Malik said. "Yesterday, it was a 120 chase, why were you trying to improve your strike rate yesterday? The platform was set in every manner. If as a leader and a batter, your brain does kick-in, in these sorts of situations, when will it? I am forced to say today that the core of this team, in the T20I format, I think we have to stop backing them."
Pakistan will play Canada in a must-win clash in New York on Tuesday, June 11.
