Former Australian opening batter and ex-Pakistan batting coach Matthew Hayden expressed shock upon hearing Babar Azam’s announcement of resigning from the captaincy in all formats for the Pakistan team.
During a discussion on a sports show about Babar’s captaincy, Matthew Hayden expressed that he was shocked upon hearing about his resignation from the captaincy. He emphasized that Babar is a world-class player.
Hayden said, “I am often shocked by the reaction I get when discussing Pakistan because it appears that the entire atmosphere is changing emotionally. Babar Azam is a world-class player.”
He added, “Now, whoever replaces him should go with Mohammad Rizwan. The captain and vice-captain positions should stick with those two players for the team to be successful.”
Matthew Hayden also pointed out that, specifically in this World Cup, Pakistan faced challenges as they were without Naseem. They had concerns regarding a world-class left-arm pacer, and both he and Shaheen were closely observed during the Asia Cup, where they seemed a bit unsettled.
He also highlighted that Fakhar Zaman didn’t arrive in this tournament and when he did it was probably too late for Pakistan. Additionally, their spinners, Nawaz and Shadab, failed to deliver challenging spells for the opponents, raising concerns about their positions in the team.
The Former World Cup winner also highlighted the root cause of Pakistan cricket’s problems.
Hayden stated, “I always sense with Pakistan, it’s never to do with the leadership group itself, it’s more just the overall game having a structure that’s conducive to a high performance culture which is the most challenging element I feel for Pakistan cricket.”
In the conclusion, he expressed that Pakistan may have shot the gun a little early by removing Babar as captain as he acknowledged his leadership abilities and sensational performances as a captain.
It should be noted that after a disappointing performance in the World Cup, Babar Azam has decided to step down from the captaincy role in all formats for the Pakistan team.
Shan Masood has been appointed as the captain of red-ball cricket, while Shaheen Afridi will lead the T20I side until the T20 World Cup in 2024.
