ICC World Cup 2023: Babar Azam’s captaincy under scrutiny

• Pakistan loses two in a row in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
• Babar Azam’s captaincy questioned due to poor performance.
• Azam needs to lead by example under pressure.

The Pakistan cricket team suffered their second consecutive defeat in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 after they lost to Australia at Bengaluru by 62 runs following a disappointing performance in all three departments (batting, bowling, and fielding).

The defeat has raised many concerns about the potential that the current Pakistan team has, and one of the main reasons behind Pakistan’s poor performance against quality sides is the captaincy of Babar Azam.

Azam’s captaincy has been questionable at many points in this tournament, and some of the major highlights of his flaws include:

• Utilisation of bowlers: Azam has been reluctant to try something different with his bowlers, and has often waited too long to bring on certain bowlers, even when they are in good form. For example, in the game against Australia, he waited for 18 overs before bringing on Mohammad Nawaz, who has the best economy rate in ODIs for Pakistan among the bowlers who played in the match.
• Pressure of captaincy: It looks like the skipper of Pakistan has not been able to handle the pressure of captaincy. His performances in the recent ICC events have been disastrous, with a mediocre average of 17 in the ICC World T20 2022 and a below-par World Cup 2023 campaign so far.
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• Running away from criticism: After the defeat against Australia, Azam did not come to face the media after the game, sending Abdullah Shafique to face the media instead. This is not the first time that Azam has done this, as he also avoided the media after the defeat against India.

These are just a few of the criticisms that have been leveled at Azam’s captaincy, and it is clear that he has a lot to work on if he wants to be a successful leader.

It is pertinent to mention here that Azam is one of the best batsmen in the world, but captaincy is a different skill altogether. It is possible that Azam is feeling the pressure of leading his country in a major tournament, and this could be affecting his decision-making.

However, if Azam wants to be considered as one of the greats of the game, he will need to overcome these pressures and lead from the front against quality opponents.

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