- Monday, March 10, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Former Pakistan wicket-keeper-batter Kamran Akmal has said that he had once advised Babar Azam, the current captain of the Pakistan cricket team, not to take up the top job and wanted him to reach the level of India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith when it comes to his batting.
Azam, arguably Pakistan’s best batter at the moment, has had a good record after taking up the captaincy of the national team. However, critics went after him following Pakistan’s loss in the final of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka last weekend. While Azam had a poor run with the bat in the tournament, his captaincy in the final also came under the scanner.
Akmal has said on a YouTube show that he had told Azam not to become the captain and focus on his batting, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
“During a T20I in Faisalabad when Babar was walking out for the toss, I got to know that he is being made captain. That is when I told him… ‘I don’t think now is the right time for you to become captain. Give your best performances in the next 2-3 years. The batting line-up is depended on you. Reach Virat Kohli’s level first, Steve Smith’s level. By then, you would have scored 35-40 centuries and enjoy captaincy. The moment Sarfaraz leaves, you will be next in line. But now is the right time. I told him back in the day but it was his decision. Those who were close to him, must have spoken to him and advised him to take up captaincy,” the 40-year-old Akmal, who played 53 Tests, 157 one-day internationals and 58 T20 internationals for Pakistan, said.
The veteran also added that Pakistan cricket will go backwards if Azam was removed now.
“I had also told him to only concentrate on his batting. He was scoring runs and would have continued to do so. The flow was beautiful. People enjoyed watching him bat. With captaincy, there will be pressure, which will affect his batting, his approach. And somewhere, that is visible now. But at the same time removing him as captain right now would be a big blunder on the part of the team management. Pakistan cricket will go back,” he added.
