T20 World Cup 2022: "This will be his last chance" - Danish Kaneria feels Babar Azam could lose captaincy if Pakistan fail to perform
Former cricketer Danish Kaneria reckons that Babar Azam could lose the Pakistan captaincy if the side underperforms at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
The former leg spinner pointed out how Azam's captaincy came under the scanner at the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022. He suggested that the right-handed batter must ensure that the team comes up with an improved performance at the ICC event.
Kaneria mentioned that Azam had a big role to play in the team's selection for the T20 World Cup 2022. This is why he feels that the skipper will be answerable if these players don't do well.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the ex-cricketer said:
"Babar Azam is out of form. Several questions have also been raised about his captaincy. I think this will be his last chance as captain. He will be under tremendous pressure because if this team doesn't do well, it will lead to his exit as captain. He is undoubtedly a great player. However, I don't feel that he has backed the right team."
Kaneria added that Babar must consider giving up his opening spot, as he has struggled to score runs quickly in the powerplay. He feels that the Men in Green should try out new combinations during their upcoming seven-match T20I series at home against England.
Kaneria explained:
"Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam's strike rates at the top are a concern. They haven't been able to utilize the field restrictions early on and have failed to set up a platform for the other batters. Babar can't just think about his own batting but should keep the team at the forefront.
"He must understand that if he isn't able to score as an opener, then some other player should replace him at that position. He can drop himself down to the No. 3 position. They can try this out against England as Rizwan has been rested for those matches."
Babar Azam struggled for form at the Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE. The star batter managed just 68 runs from six matches and had a dismal strike rate of 107.93.
"They struggled even against the Netherlands" - Danish Kaneria on Pakistan's recent performances
Kaneria questioned Pakistan's chief selector Muhammad Wasim for suggesting that the current side have contributed significantly to the success of the team. He highlighted how Babar Azam and Co. suffered defeats against the likes of Australia and Sri Lana in the recent past.
The ex-cricketer also highlighted that the Pakistani side haven't delivered impactful performances in white-ball cricket, struggling to dominate even against the Netherlands. Kaneria added:
"The selector said that this team has been doing well consistently. But we lost to Australia at home and then lost to Sri Lanka twice at the Asia Cup. They struggled even against the Netherlands.
"Muhammad Wasim made a statement that these guys have given a lot to Pakistan. But no, they haven't given a lot to Pakistan. They haven't performed to their full potential."
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Pakistan and England are set to compete in seven T20Is on the road to the T20 World Cup. The opening fixture of the rubber will be played on September 20 at the National Stadium in Karachi.