Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif slammed current Test skipper Babar Azam for not speaking up during the major changes made to the team in the middle of the England series.
Pakistan suffered a heavy 194-run defeat against England in the second Test at Lord’s. The loss was followed by a major reshuffle, with seven players sent back home. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also removed head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
Latif questioned Babar’s leadership and went as far as calling him a “dummy captain”.
Rashid Latif Questions Babar’s Leadership
Pakistan have struggled badly with the bat in England, failing in four consecutive innings across the first two Tests.
Babar, who returned as Pakistan’s Test captain last month after replacing Shan Masood, missed the first Test because of an injury. His return to the playing XI did not go as planned either, as he scored only eight and six in the second Test.
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Latif believes Babar should have taken a stronger stand following the changes made by the PCB.
Seven Players Sent Back Home
The PCB made several changes to the squad following the Lord’s defeat. Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were sent back home.
Imam was reportedly dealing with an injury, while the other players were also released from the squad.
The coaching staff was changed as well. Mike Hesson, who already works as Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, will now take charge of the Test team for the rest of the England tour. Ashley Noffke has been brought in as the bowling coach.
Pakistan have also added five uncapped players to the squad, along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal. The pair have a combined experience of only 10 Test matches.
Latif Takes Another Dig At Babar
Latif was particularly critical of Babar for not speaking out after so many players and members of the coaching staff were removed.
Pakistan’s Struggles Continue
The defeat at Lord’s was Pakistan’s 15th loss in their last 20 Tests. It was also their 10th defeat in their last 11 Tests away from home.
Their batting has been a major concern throughout the series. Pakistan are yet to cross the 200-run mark in any innings in the first two Tests.
Saud Shakeel came closest to giving them a big score when he made 97 at Lord’s, but Pakistan still struggled to put England under serious pressure.