Kris Srikkanth Slams Babar Azam, Urges Him to Quit T20 Cricket

Legendary Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan captain Babar Azam, urging him to consider retiring from T20 cricket. Srikkanth's criticism stems from Azam's poor form and slow approach in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

"I don't think Babar should play T20 cricket," Srikkanth said on Star Sports. "You can't do this tuk-tuking all the time. They say Babar scored 4,000 runs like Virat or Rohit, but his strike rate is only 112-115. What are you talking about?"

Srikkanth's comments come after Pakistan's disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup. The team suffered consecutive defeats in their opening games against the USA and India, failing to qualify for the Super 8 stage.

Azam's captaincy has also come under scrutiny. Sources have indicated that Shan Masood will retain the Test captaincy for Pakistan's upcoming series against Bangladesh, while Jason Gillespie will take over as the red-ball head coach.

Azam's brief tenure as T20I captain ended in April this year after a 4-1 series defeat to New Zealand. He was reinstated as the white-ball skipper before the T20 World Cup, but the team's poor performance has led to renewed calls for his removal.

Srikkanth's criticism is not the first time Azam's approach has been questioned. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has also expressed concerns about his slow batting style.

"Babar Azam is a very good player, but he needs to improve his strike rate," Afridi said. "He needs to be more aggressive and take more risks."

It remains to be seen whether Azam will heed the advice of his critics and make changes to his game. However, it is clear that his captaincy and batting form are under intense scrutiny.

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