Image Credit- AFP
Many have criticised Babar Azam’s leadership and the
Pakistani cricket team’s dismal performance in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan finished fifth in the points table and was unable to advance to the
tournament semifinals. As a result, a number of former cricket players demanded
drastic changes to the team, including the dismissal of Babar as captain. The
team, which had players like Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Babar, and Haris
Rauf, lost to Afghanistan and also had shocking losses to South Africa,
England, Australia, and South Africa.
Former Pakistani wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal stated that
his country would have won the World Cup if players like Younis Khan, Shahid
Afridi, and Misbah-ul-Haq had enjoyed the same level of fan support that Babar
Azam and company did during the previous three years.
“The amount of support Babar and this team got
from fans in the last three years, had they shown the same support to Younis
(Khan), Shahid (Afridi), Misbah (ul Haq), these guys would have won a World
Cup,” said Kamran Akmal in a viral video.
After Pakistan’s poor show in the Cricket World Cup
2023, Morne Morkel stepped down as the bowling coach of the team.
Former fast bowler Umar Gul is tipped to replace
Morkel as he has worked before with the national team on an interim basis and
has also coached the Afghanistan team.
It is worth noting that this was the third time on
trot that Pakistan failed to enter the semi-finals of Cricket World Cup.