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Babar Azam with Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi (Source: X)
Pakistan cricket is going through its worst phase in over a year across formats and they are being attacked by their own fraternity. Recently, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif highlighted the Men in Green’s alarming decline and blasted them mercilessly.
Babar Azam and Co. failed to reach the final of the 2023 Asia Cup and were then knocked out early in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Six months later, they endured another humiliating campaign in the 204 T20 World Cup, where they failed to even beat the USA.
Pakistan's plight came into focus after losing the two-match home Test series to Bangladesh recently. For the first time in history, the Bangla Tigers defeated Pakistan in the longer format of the game. Summing up all these harrowing journeys, Latif noted that the Pakistan cricketer is currently in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and needs professional treatment.
"Pakistan cricket is currently in the ICU. They will need a professional doctor. They need technically sound professionals to run things, both physically and financially. Trainers and many other things are required. You can see there are many problems, whether it's on the field or off the field,” Latif said as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan’s next Test series is against an in-form England. It is noteworthy that the Asian side is yet to win a Test match under Shan Masood’s captaincy.
Latif feels Babar Azam is struggling to cope with mental pressure
Babar Azam stepped down from Pakistan's all-format captaincy after his team’s disappointing performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, he was re-appointed captain in limited overs. Meanwhile, Latif advised Babar to give up the captaincy in all formats and focus on batting.
"We need to remember that he was removed forcefully as captain. When the mind is not functioning correctly, it affects the nerves as well. You try to play hard on every ball. He should let go of the idea of being a captain and focus on freeing himself from mental pressure. The issue seems to be more about mental stress than technical performance, and it's apparent that he is struggling to cope with a significant amount of mental pressure," said Latif.