Former Pakistan chief selector opens up about challenging experience working with determined captain Babar Azam: 'He needed more time...'

Former Pakistan chief selector Mohammad Wasim has opened up about his struggles with white-ball skipper Babar Azam during his time in the role. Wasim revealed that Babar's stubbornness made it difficult for him to implement the changes he felt were necessary for the team's success. Pakistan cricket has been facing challenges lately, with disappointing performances across all formats. The downhill journey started during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where Babar Azam's team failed to make it to the semi-finals. The situation worsened during the 2024 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat against non-Test playing nation USA and were knocked out in the group stage. The recent Test series loss against Bangladesh proved to be the final blow for Pakistan cricket, leading to some major decisions being made by the PCB. Players like Shaheen Shah Afridi were dropped from the XI for the second match of the series in an effort to shake things up and address the team's struggles.

Babar was appointed Pakistan's captain for the first time in 2020, but he decided to relinquish the role after the 2023 ODI WC. However, a change in PCB management brought him back to the captaincy responsibility.

Former PCB chief selector Wasim revealed he tried hard to convince Babar to make some changes in the team, but the skipper was very stubborn and didn't allow it to happen.

"It was painful to make him understand the advantages of changes. He was very stubborn, and I overstepped my limitations to get him on board with certain calls. He was not ready to accept changes," Wasim told a local sports platform (via Cricket Pakistan).

He further revealed that the coaches in the past named a group of players who were cancer to the team, and he tried to remove them but didn't get the captain's support.

"I will not take names, but four coaches said that a group of players is cancer to the team. If they are part of the squad, Pakistan can’t win. I tried to remove them from the team, but the team management recalled them," he added.

Also Read | Yograj Singh told to 'get away from Arjun Tendulkar ASAP' after Kapil-Dhoni outburst, fans say 'Don't ruin his life'

The Pakistan team has made some shocking decisions in recent times, which include recalling retired Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir back in the squad for the T20 World Cup.

Imad Wasim has been hiding knee injury for years

Wasim revealed that he dropped Imad during his tenure and wanted him to work on his fitness, but he continued to hide his knee injury for years.

"Imad has a knee injury, but he has been hiding it for years. We always speak about Azam Khan’s fitness levels, but Imad is also suffering from the same problem. He was dropped from the side for that same reason, and I also dropped him during my tenure so that he could work on his fitness," Mohammad Wasim said in the same interview.

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times website and app.