Babar Azam should continue as captain for Australia tour, says Afridi
Cricket
Calls for focusing on grassroot level to revamp cricket
KARACHI (Web Desk) – Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi says Babar Azam should continue to lead the national cricket team during the upcoming Test series in Australia.
The Team Green will play three Test matches against hosts in the series starting on Dec 14. The last match will be played on Jan 3, 2024.
Afridi expressed these views at an event in Karachi where several cricket legends, including Abdul Razzaq, Misbahul Haq, Rashid Latif and Umar Gul, were present.
He also shared his two cents on Pakistan team’s elimination from the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023, lamenting: “We didn’t perform according to our skills”. He said a team could not win by making huge mistakes.
Afridi, who was recently asked by Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar to play his role in improvement of the game, called for focusing on grassroot level to revamp cricket.
Speaking on the occasion, Rashid Latif believed that national team’s less participation in Test and first-class cricket was major reason behind its early exit from the ODI World Cup. “We had given more time to T20 cricket,” he said.
He also criticised the pacers for unimpressive performance in the world cup, adding that results could be different had spinners performed better. He said not only players but selectors also should be held accountable.