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Kamran Akmal has questioned captain Babar Azam’s leadership credentials.© AFP
Pakistan squandered a 2-0 lead against New Zealand in the recently concluded five-match T20I series as the visitors fought their way back to level the series 2-2. After the fourth T20I was called off due to a hailstorm in Rawalpindi, New Zealand secured a comprehensive win in the fifth and final T20I to level the series. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has questioned captain Babar Azam‘s leadership credentials.
Akmal lashed out at Babar by saying that even after four years of being captain, he still doesn’t know how to handle situations.
“Speaking of their mistakes, they deflect and accuse us of criticism. But our focus is on their captaincy, not their performance. We’re not blind to their abilities. He (Babar Azam) still doesn’t know how to do captaincy after four years – he doesn’t even know which bowler to give to ball to at what time. It’s no surprise that they lost when they continued to make the same mistakes. We didn’t control our errors, and that’s why they emerged victorious,” Cricket Pakistan quoted Akmal as saying on his YouTube channel.
The 41-year-old also questioned Babar’s decision of not utilising Iftikhar Ahmed with the ball, especially when Shadab Khan was being constantly targetted by the New Zealand batters.
“If both the left-handed batsmen were on the crease, the logical choice would have been to give the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed. But instead, we saw the leg-spinner Shadab Khan being given the over and was being continuously smashed by the New Zealand batters. It would have been wise to rest him and bring in another all-rounder to give the team a chance to regain their footing,” he added.
Pakistan and New Zealand will now square off in a five-match ODI series, starting with the first ODI at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, April 27.
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