Pakistani cricket is currently facing a complex situation. Following another humiliating defeat of the English team in the Test series, questions are arising regarding both the management and the players' level of play. During this period, former Pakistani batsman Basit Ali named the alleged dispute between Babar Azam and Shaheen Shahidi as one of the key reasons for the team's decline.
Basit asserts that since the disagreements arose between these two players, particularly concerning the leadership, an unfavorable period has begun for Pakistani cricket. He also raised questions about Babar Azam's captaincy decisions on 'Game Plan', noting that Babar is not a strong captain and has made several erroneous decisions. In Basit's opinion, the main cause of the cricket's decline was the friction between Babar and Shaheen, which led to constant negative consequences.
The former batsman mentioned that during this dispute, various opinions were expressed about both athletes: some called Shaheen an outstanding bowler, while others praised Babar as a magnificent player. However, this conflict has affected the entire Pakistan squad.
How did the dispute between Babar and Shaheen begin?
After Babar Azam stepped down as captain of Pakistan following one of the matches of the 2023 ODI World Cup, the T20 international team captaincy was handed over to Shaheen Shahidi Afridi. However, after poor results in the New Zealand tour, the management changed again: Shaheen lost his T20 captaincy, and responsibility was once again placed on Babar Azam. Basit Ali believes that these changes in leadership contributed to the rift in relations between the two senior players.
The situation continued to change after the 2024 T20 World Cup, when the Pakistan team failed to even reach the semi-finals. After this, Babar Azam was removed from the T20 captaincy once more. Subsequently, Pakistan began implementing a system with different captains across three formats: Babar received the captaincy in the Test team, Shaheen Shahidi Afridi became the ODI team captain, and Salman Ali Agha led the T20 team.
Deterioration of the situation due to defeats against England
Basit's statement came amid the difficult position of the Pakistan team in the Test series against England. In the second match, played at Lord's, England inflicted a crushing defeat on Pakistan by 194 runs. Thus, Pakistan trailed England 0-2 in the three-match series. The team's performance problems in the first two Tests drew widespread criticism, and the team faced accusations of lacking fighting spirit when facing England.
PCB also made significant changes
Following the loss in the Lord's match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made major decisions. Seven players were dropped and sent home, including names such as Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha. Furthermore, Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling head Umar Gul were dismissed from their positions. Misbah-ul-Haq also resigned from the Selection Committee.
Babar Azam himself found himself in a difficult spot. This year, he was appointed captain of Pakistan in Tests instead of Shan Masood. His start as Test captain was marked by a draw in the two-match series against West Indies. However, questions began to arise about both his captaincy skills and his overall game. Babar's performance in Test cricket causes the most concern, as he has been unable to score a century in this format for about four years. Thus, besides leadership, his game is constantly discussed. Meanwhile, Shaheen Shahidi Afridi was excluded from Pakistan's current fast-bowling-based playing plan.