Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, has come under fire from Danish Kaneria for the shots he chose to take on Day 5 of the second Test match against New Zealand on Friday, January 6. According to the former Pakistani cricketer, Babar needs more sweep strokes and an attacking style to beat off-spinners. According to the veteran, a sweep shot might have prevented him from losing his wicket.
Babar Azam’s cricket sense is lacking. He should have swept the ball instead of playing on the back foot and getting out. Fortunately, Pakistan avoided losing the series. Babar Azam, a supposedly world-class hitter, failed. He needs sweep strokes and can take command against off-spinners. When Pakistan most needed him, he fell short. He struggled as both captain and batter in the series.
It’s interesting to note that Babar scored 161 runs in the opening innings of the first test, scoring a fantastic century. His performances in the final three innings were subpar, coming in at 14, 24, and 27. Babar’s performance as captain during the two-test series, which finished in a tie, was also questioned by Kaneria.
After a successful run with the bat following his comeback, Kaneria believes that Pakistan should re-appoint Sarfaraz Ahmed as Test captain. The former off-spinner believes Saud Shakeel should be given the vice-leadership in recognition of his strong showings against England and New Zealand. Sarfaraz must be appointed test captain. He can be an excellent choice for captain, and Saud Shakeel, who has only recently begun to play for Pakistan but has the potential to lead Pakistan in the future, can serve as vice-captain.
Shakeel led all scorers for Pakistan with an unbroken 125 runs in the first innings, while Sarfaraz produced a critical 118 runs in the second innings. Together, they scored 335 and 277 runs in the series finale. Shakeel had 346 runs in the recently concluded three-Test series against England.