Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has reignited debate on social media after weighing in on the discussion surrounding Pakistan’s run under Babar Azam.
The former opener stated that while the star batter remains one of the finest players in world cricket, his captaincy was never his strong suit.
Speaking in a recent podcast with CrickWick, Salman Butt argued that Babar Azam lacked the natural qualities required to be a strong leader, especially when it came to tactical decision-making and having a commanding presence on the field during crunch situations.
The former captain pointed to an instance from the last T20 World Cup, where Pakistan was beaten by the USA in a huge upset.
“Babar was once asked about that Super Over decision that whether he was the one to give Mohammad Amir the super over. His answer was that it was a collective decision with the coach involved. That is not a captain’s answer. To come out on the mic and express that shows weakness that you cannot own a decision” Salman Butt said.
“I think we should have preserved him as a top top player and let others take the responsibility. His persona is not that of a leader. Being a great player doesn’t make you a captain.” he added.
Salman Butt isn’t the first cricketer to call out Babar Azam for his captaincy. Despite leading Pakistan in 148 games across formats and holding a win percentage of 56.7%, the team failed to win anything significant under his leadership. His personal record during that time was solid, but with Pakistan struggling, Babar eventually stepped down from the role.
Salman Butt’s comments have once again put the spotlight on Babar Azam, not just as a world-class batter, but as a former captain whose leadership legacy is still being dissected by cricketing voices.
While Babar is free from the burden now, these discussions are likely to follow him around for the rest of his career.
