‘Pakistan was ruined’: Ex-cricketer blames Babar-Afridi rift for team’s downfall
Former cricketer Basit Ali has attributed the decline of the Pakistan national cricket team to a leadership rift between Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. The team's poor performance in England has reignited debates over the constant reshuffling of captaincy across different formats.
Why it matters
The internal politics of national sports teams often have a direct impact on performance and public morale in cricket-obsessed nations.
Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has claimed that a fallout between Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi over the captaincy played a major role in the national team’s decline.Basit’s comments came after Pakistan’s miserable showing in England, where they have already surrendered the three-match Test series 2-0 following a 194-run defeat at Lord’s. The visitors have faced widespread criticism for their performances, with the team struggling to show any fight in either of the opening two Tests.According to Basit, however, Pakistan’s problems go much deeper than the current results. He believes the leadership dispute between two of the country’s senior players created a damaging divide within the setup.“Babar Azam is not a strong captain. I am not speaking about this based on the performance in England. He has made many wrong decisions. The main reason for Pakistan cricket's downfall is the rift between Shaheen and Babar.
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