Under-fire Pakistan skipper Babar Azam hasn’t yet thought about quitting captaincy despite his team’s group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup, insisting that any decision on the matter will be taken only after discussions with his Cricket Board.
The 2009 champions and also the finalists of 2007 and 2022 editions, lost to USA and India in their first two games to exit the tournament even before the Super Eights.
Having faced massive criticism, the Pakistan skipper hit back when asked if he has any plans to tender his resignation.
“When I go back, we will discuss all the things that happened here. And if I have to leave the captaincy, this decision, I will tell you openly. I will not announce anything behind the scenes. Whatever happens, will happen in front of you,” Babar said after Pakistan ended their group league campaign with a hard-fought three-wicket win over Ireland.
Babar said it was the Pakistan Cricket Board which reinstated him and whether he continues or not, will be their call.
“I have not thought about it. The decision is of the PCB,” he said, asserting that he never asked for a leadership role.
“About the captaincy when I had left it (after ODI World Cup), I thought that I shouldn’t be doing it now, that’s why I left it and I announced it myself. Then when they gave it back to me, it was the decision of the PCB.”
Babar was visibly miffed at being repeatedly probed about his future as a leader and told the assembled media that one person cannot be blamed for team losses.
“...everyone is sad. As a team, we did not play. I told you that we did not lose this because of one person,” he told a probing scribe.
“We are losing as a team. I am not saying this because of one person. You are pointing out that because of the captain, I cannot play in every player’s place. There are 11 players and each of them has a role.
“I think we as a team have not been able to apply, follow and finish things. We have to settle down and accept that we didn’t play well as a team.”
Imad Wasim, in a media interaction, had spoken how Pakistan is not changing its archaic style at a time when the world order in the shortest format had undergone a sea change.
Babar partially agreed with Imad’s assertion.
“I think eight-nine players are the same who have been playing for four years. They should not fear. All of them are the same players. They are being backed. They are being given opportunities,” he said.
Batting is an area of concern he admitted.
“You need to assess the conditions, what’s the demand here. If you follow that then - tell me how many matches have been played here and there’s been outstanding batting?
“There’s been a struggle, but you need to be proactive about what’s required here. I think it’s about game awareness and common sense, which is what is required here.”
Critical of US wickets
Babar joined the chorus of criticism against the standard of pitches in the tournament’s USA leg, which concluded on Saturday.
While drop-in pitches in New York copped a lot of flak, inadequate covers for the full ground in Florida also didn’t go down well with teams.
“I was expecting someone to ask this question (on US tracks). As far as pitches are concerned...In New York, you saw that the game was played on toss. I think the timing was a little too early.
“Because when you win a toss, every second team opted to bowl. And bowlers got help...you didn’t have the idea of bounce because there was no consistent bounce. Sometimes the ball went too high, sometimes it stayed down.
Source: PTI
--Agencies
