Pakistan's T20 World Cup Disappointment Raises Questions About Babar Azam's Leadership

Pakistan's disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup 2024 has raised questions about the team's leadership and tactics. After unimpressive displays against Ireland and England in the lead-up to the tournament, Pakistan's form was far from ideal.

Despite their history of surprising performances, Pakistan's campaign began with a shock defeat to debutants USA. They then lost to India despite being in a commanding position. In their third match, they managed to beat Canada, but their fourth match against Ireland was a close call, with Pakistan nearly losing after being seven wickets down in pursuit of a modest target.

Babar Azam's captaincy and batting have come under scrutiny. Indian cricket legend Virender Sehwag believes that Azam should step down as captain and even be dropped from the T20I team. Sehwag criticized Azam's lack of six-hitting ability and his conservative approach.

"Babar Azam is not a player who will hit sixes. He only hits sixes when he is set and spinners are operating," Sehwag said. "I have never seen him using his feet to fast bowlers or hitting sixes over the covers; it's not his game as he plays safe cricket by hitting down the ground."

Sehwag believes that Pakistan needs a captain who can provide more firepower in the powerplay overs. "As a leader, you have to think whether this game is useful for his team. If not, then demote yourself and send someone who can play big shots in the six overs and get the team 50-60 runs," he said.

Pakistan's struggles have also been attributed to their lack of depth in the batting lineup. The team has relied heavily on Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, but they have not received enough support from the middle order.

With the T20 World Cup 2024 now over, Pakistan must reassess their approach and make changes if they want to be competitive in future tournaments.

Tags: #PakistanCricket, #T20WorldCup, #BabarAzam, #VirenderSehwag, #CricketCaptaincy