Former Indian cricketer, Gautam Gambhir, stressed the necessity for a change in Babar Azam's approach as the captain of the Pakistan team.
While talking on a local sports platform, Gambhir shared his opinions on the 29-year-old's playing style, mindset, and leadership role in the upcoming World Cup matches.
“I feel Babar will have to change his personality, his game and, importantly, his mindset. Pakistan have had a history of attacking batters - Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail. In the present top three, everyone bats in a similar mode. If someone has to take responsibility, it has to be their captain, who bats at No. 3," Gambhir said.
The former opening batter emphasised that the team's playing style frequently reflects the captain's approach and underscored the importance of Babar's role in effectively leading the team.
Comparing the recent performances of Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma, the 42-year-old highlighted the contrast in their playing styles during a match.
“The team plays how the captain plays. Both Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma scored the fifties. One scored a 50, other scored an 80. None of them scored a hundred, but it was the approach that was the difference. If Pakistan were chasing 190, their mindset would have been just to win the game, whether they get there in 35 or 40 overs."
"It is important for the captain to take responsibility. If the captain is defensive, the team will be defensive. You can’t tell the 10 other players in the room that, ‘you play positive, I will play [anchor] from one end’,” he concluded.
As far as Pakistan’s ODI World Cup 2023 campaign is concerned, the Men in Green are currently placed art the fourth position in the points table with two wins in three games and will next face Australia at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 20.
- Babar Azam
