Former cricketer Ramiz Raja lashed out at Pakistan skipper Babar Azam after their shocking defeat to Afghanistan at the 2023 ODI World Cup being held in India. After a good start in the competition, Pakistan suffered a series of losses against India, Australia and Afghanistan. These underwhelming performances at cricket’s biggest stage have sparked reactions from legendary Pakistan players, including the likes of Wasim Akram, Misbah-ul-Haq, Ramiz Raja and Shoaib Akhtar. Many have blamed Babar for putting Pakistan on the brink of a shocking early exit from World Cup 2023.
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While speaking on his YouTube Channel, Raza, a former chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said, “Pakistan have hit rock bottom. Babar Azam needs to step up and prove himself as a leader amid all this".
In the video, Ramiz Raja recalled his post-match interview with Babar Azam. The Pakistan captain was noticeably disappointed with his team’s performance against Afghanistan. Babar admitted that his team’s bowling was not quite up to the mark, resulting in the humiliating loss.
While talking about that interaction, Raza, commentator at the World Cup, said, “It was a massive disaster for Pakistan in this World Cup. Losing to Afghanistan will hurt badly. Pakistan have never dealt with a surprising defeat like this one before".
He also felt that Pakistan now must have a serious discussion about potential replacements in the squad after the World Cup. “They need a complete overhaul in terms of mindset, approach, new ideas and new talent. We need to improve on every aspect," he explained.
Pakistan faced Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Bengaluru on October 23. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Abdullah Shafique’s half-century and Babar Azam’s 74-run knock helped Pakistan reach a total of 282 runs. During the run chase, none of the Pakistan bowlers did anything meaningful as Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah scored half-centuries to win the game by eight wickets.
Babar Azam famously led Pakistan to their first-ever World Cup win against India in the T20 World Cup two years back. A lot has changed since then and Babar is facing the heat. Babar will be aiming to end his side’s winless streak against South Africa in Bengaluru on October 27.
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