Follow UsPakistan’s premier batter, Babar Azam, is receiving criticism left, right, and centre after the home side in the ICC Champions Trophy almost reached on the verge of being ousted from the tournament. After being defeated by New Zealand in the first game of the competition by 60 runs, Pakistan were pulverised by India in a six-wicket defeat in a one-sided encounter between the arch-rivals in Dubai.
However, the most scathing criticism comes from former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, who said Azam has been “a fraud from the beginning.”
“We always compare Babar Azam to Virat Kohli. Now tell me who is hero of Virat Kohli? Sachin Tendulkar and he has scored 100 centuries and Virat is chasing his legacy,” Akhtar said on the Pakistani show “Game On Hai.”
“Who is Babar Azam’s hero? Tuk tuk (name redacted by Akhtar)! You have picked the wrong heroes. Your thought process is wrong. You were a fraud from the beginning.”
Akhtar lamented with a long face about the gradual deterioration of Pakistan cricket since his heydays in the early 2000s, and said that he talks about Pakistan team only because he gets paid for it.
“I would not even wish to talk about Pakistan cricket team. I am only dong this because I am getting paid,” the Rawalpindi express said.
“This is a waste of time. This deterioration I am seeing since 2001. I have worked with the captains, whose personality used to chance thrice a day.”
Akhtar also praised Kohli for his 51st century. He called him a modern-day great, mentioning in a video on X (formerly Twitter) that he wasn’t at all surprised with the result as he expected nothing more from his national time.
“We have seen this in the past. When you tell Virat Kohli that he has to play against Pakistan, he will score a century. Hats off to him, he’s like a superstar!,” Akhtar exclaimed.
“He’s a white ball run chaser! Modern-day great! No doubt about him. I’m very happy for him. He deserves all the praise.
“I am not disappointed at all (by the defeat to India) because I knew what would happen. You can’t select five bowlers, the whole world is playing six bowlers… you go with two all-rounders but this is just brainless and clueless management. I am really disappointed.”