"I still believe he is the best man to lead Pakistan" - Sanjay Bangar backs Babar Azam to remain as skipper despite 2024 T20 World Cup debacle
Former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar has opined that Pakistan's best chance for a revival is to continue with Babar Azam at the helm. The skipper must be under a lot of pressure following the Men in Green's disgraceful exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).
Azam's batting approach, leadership, and body language were criticized by fans and pundits alike, as the side lost to the USA and India in the group stage itself. The ace batter had relinquished captaincy across formats after Pakistan's failure to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
However, he was controversially reinstated by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, as Shaheen Afridi was sacked after leading the nation in just one series.
"I still believe he is still the best man to lead Pakistan. He has to be a little bit more assertive in terms of the usage of the DRS as well. You can gauge your personality. It seems that he is letting others come into his way of decision-making. So, as a captain, you have to be decisive. That’s a quality that can be slightly more assertive. That can help his decision-making," Sanjay Bangar told Star Sports.
Babar Azam has addressed the criticism surrounding his captaincy, saying the final decision lies in the hands of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The skipper and some of his teammates have traveled to the United Kingdom for a brief vacation to cope with the recent result.
"There are not a lot of potential captaincy candidates" - Sanjay Bangar on PCB going back to Babar Azam
PCB turned to Shan Masood for red-ball captaincy and Shaheen Afridi for the white-ball leadership when Babar Azam resigned in late 2023. However, the team lacks other leadership candidates, with no one being groomed for it either.
Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan have the experience of leading franchises in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Shadab Khan has also led the national side on a few occasions in Babar Azam's absence. However, their record is far from ideal, and it may take a while for Pakistan to have a pool of candidates to choose from.
"There is no alternative as well, because Pakistan tried to do away with his captaincy after the 50-over World Cup debacle. But they had to go back to him again. It clearly shows that there are not a lot of potential captaincy candidates. So stick with Babar, give him the team, give him a good support system around him so that Pakistan can do well in the next World Cup," Bangar added.
To make things worse, newly appointed head coach Gary Kirsten's comments about the team harmony have also got all the fans riling up.