Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali has alleged that the current team management is favouring captain Babar Azam while trying to blame Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan for their poor performance at the recently concluded T20 World Cup, where Pakistan was knocked out of the tournament in the group stage. A video that went viral on social media shows Basit Ali, who represented Pakistan in 19 Tests and 50 ODIs, revealing that the management is preparing a report to put the blame on Afridi and Rizwan for their disappointing performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
He warned that this could lead to the downfall of Pakistan cricket. "Taiyyar jo ki jaa rahi h, jo report bnayi jaa rahi h woh banayi jaa rahi h Shaheen Shah Afridi or Rizwan ke against. Inhone grouping kar di hai. Jo galat hai. Ye jo report bana rahe h, jinke mind mein ye cheez h ki wo apna malba inpr daalde, aisa mat kijiega, Pakistan ki cricket tabaah ho jaegi", Basit said. ("A report is being prepared against Shaheen Shah Afridi and Rizwan. There is grouping, which is wrong. The report is being made by those who want to place the blame on them. Don't do this; it will ruin Pakistan cricket")
Also Read: Shahid Afridi slams PCB for backing Babar Azam despite group stage excit from 2024 T20 World Cup
Watch the video here:
Basit also expressed concern about the situation, saying that if Afridi and Rizwan don't agree with Babar, they should be removed from the team rather than being scapegoated. "I am saying this now because, God forbid, if this happens, it will be your fault. If you think Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Babar Azam are not on the same page, then remove all three. Don't make two scapegoats and make one a hero," he added.
Basit Ali also criticized Babar Azam's leadership, not only in the 2024 T20 World Cup but also in previous matches, including the decision to let Nawaz bowl the last over in Melbourne. "It’s wrong. What kind of captaincy is this by Babar? Not just in this tournament, but since the World Cup. Why were his eyes not opened when he made Nawaz bowl the last over in Melbourne?"
He empathised with Afridi, who was asked to step down as captain after just five matches. "Tell me, after removing a boy from captaincy after just five matches, will there be no rift? If the chairs on the TV set we are sitting on are changed, won't there be an issue? Why was my chair changed? This is a natural reaction," he added.