"He has to learn to carry pressure, he should learn that from Virat and Rohit" - Rashid Latif questions Babar Azam's captaincy ahead of IND-PAK clash
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif questioned current skipper Babar Azam's ability to handle pressure as a leader through a game ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup marquee clash against India in New York on June 9. Babar has led Pakistan in 144 games across formats, with a win percentage of almost 57.
However, the 29-year-old relinquished captaincy in all three formats after Pakistan's dismal 2023 ODI World Cup campaign. Yet, Babar was again made captain of the white-ball sides after their horrendous tour of New Zealand earlier this year.
In an interview with the PTI, Latif said:
"The focus is on the game on June 9 against India. Babar (Pakistan captain) will be under a lot of pressure because of the game against India rather than performing in the World Cup.
"But he has to learn to carry pressure, he should learn that from Virat and Rohit. They know how to carry the game. As a batter Babar is one of the best but as a captain and leader, there's a lot that he needs to learn."
Despite constantly being under fire, Babar has led Pakistan to the semi-final and final of the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups. The side will open their 2024 campaign against co-hosts USA on Thursday, June 6, before the blockbuster clash against India.
"Babar is a great player but doesn't have a lot of players to support him" - Rashid Latif
Rashid Latif acknowledged that Babar Azam is a great batter but lacks the support from the others around him that Virat Kohli enjoys.
Babar and Kohli have often drawn comparisons, thanks to their outstanding batting numbers across formats. While Kohli has over 26,00 runs with 80 centuries, the much younger Babar has over 13,000 runs with 31 tons.
"Babar is a great player but doesn't have a lot of players to support him. Virat definitely has an advantage because the players are around him. But Pakistan lacks that cushion. Babar only has Rizwan and occasionally, the support of Fakhar Zaman. Babar's quality is way above his teammates and I think this acts as a disadvantage for him," said Latif.
Latif felt the Pakistan side wasn't as prepared for the 2024 T20 World Cup as they were in 2021 and 2022, pointing to the multiple recent changes in the captaincy. He stated:
"The Pakistan team plays well in the ICC tournaments but the team doesn't look as prepared as they were in 2021 and 2022. The damage happened after the last ODI World Cup with changes in captaincy, the selection committee, and players. The team doesn't know who their openers will be and what they have tried has failed miserably."
Pakistan won their lone T20 World Cup title in England in 2009 and reached the final of the 2022 edition in Australia.