"He still doesn't know how to do captaincy after four years" - Kamran Akmal unimpressed with Babar Azam's leadership qualities

Former Pakistan keeper-batter Kamran Akmal recently lashed out at Babar Azam, who failed to guide his team to a T20I series win against a second-string New Zealand side. Akmal observed how the 28-year-old has been incompetent as captain despite being in the role for four years.

Pakistan won the first two T20Is comfortably, but New Zealand pulled one back in the third game. Hailstorms forced the fourth match to be called off before Mark Chapman's maiden T20I hundred propelled the tourists to chase down a target of 194 in the final fixture.

Hence, a relatively weak Kiwi side managed to save the series against Pakistan in their backyard.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kamran Akmal recalled how Pakistan cricketers deflect criticism from themselves but often fail to do the job well on the field and repeat the same mistakes.

"Speaking of their mistakes, they deflect and accuse us of criticism," Akmal said. "But our focus is on their captaincy, not their performance. We're not blind to their abilities. He still doesn't know how to do captaincy after four years - he doesn't even know which bowler to give to ball to at what time.

"It's no surprise that they lost when they continued to make the same mistakes. We didn't control our errors, and that's why they emerged victorious."

While his leadership abilities have come under the scanner, Babar Azam was in decent form with the bat in the T20I series, amassing 130 runs in four innings. The right-handed batter scored his third T20I hundred in the second game, smashing an unbeaten 101 off 58 balls.

"The logical choice would have been to give the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed" - Kamran Akmal on bowling to left-handers

Kamran Akmal further stated that the decision to bowl leg-spinner Shadab Khan to the two left-handers in James Neesham and Chapman baffled him as they repeatedly cashed in.

"If both the left-handed batsmen were on the crease, the logical choice would have been to give the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed," the 41-year-old said. "But instead, we saw the leg-spinner Shadab Khan being given the over and was being continuously smashed by the New Zealand batters.

"It would have been wise to rest him and bring in another all-rounder to give the team a chance to regain their footing."

The two sides will now lock horns in the five-game ODI series, beginning on Thursday, March 27, in Rawalpindi.