Michael Atherton has questioned the authority of Babar Azam and the position Pakistan’s captains are allowed to play after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made sweeping modifications to the Check squad halfway by way of the England sequence.Pakistan suffered defeats within the opening two Assessments and responded by sending seven gamers dwelling. Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq have been amongst these faraway from the squad, whereas coaches Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have been additionally requested to depart.Mike Hesson will now take cost of the crew for the third and remaining Check at Edgbaston, starting on September 9.The size of the modifications has positioned Babar underneath growing scrutiny. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif had already argued that Babar ought to have resigned after the seven gamers have been despatched dwelling, whereas additionally branding him a “dummy captain”.Atherton has now questioned whether or not Babar, or certainly any Pakistan captain, has sufficient affect inside the setup to guide successfully following such a significant intervention from the board.The previous England captain believes the modifications might have lasting penalties for Pakistan, no matter what occurs within the remaining Check.“Not on this occasion, no, due to the injury it’ll do in the long run. That is no strategy to handle gamers and no strategy to construct a long-term imaginative and prescient in any respect,” Atherton mentioned on the Sky Sports activities Cricket Podcast.“I really feel it is a horrible place for a captain, Babar Azam, to be in – and what sort of authority does he or certainly any captain of Pakistan have on this outfit?” he added.
Atherton questions Babar’s authority
Atherton recommended that the occasions of the England tour might make it extraordinarily tough for Babar to ascertain authority over the Pakistan dressing room.He acknowledged that modern-day captains do not need the identical management they as soon as loved, however insisted {that a} captain nonetheless must have a significant say within the crew’s affairs.“One understands that the captain will not be omnipotent nowadays, you are not going again 30 years in the past once they maybe ran the present, however they should have some authority inside a crew,” mentioned Atherton.The previous England captain then raised a query over how Babar can transfer ahead after the PCB’s intervention.“Given what’s occurred, how do you lead that crew now?” he added.
Babar’s tough return
Babar reclaimed Pakistan’s Check captaincy from Shan Masood earlier this yr after Bangladesh defeated Pakistan of their two-match sequence.His aspect subsequently drew the sequence in opposition to the West Indies earlier than travelling to England.The 31-year-old missed the primary Check in opposition to England due to an harm, however returned for the second match at Lord’s.His comeback, nevertheless, did little to ease Pakistan’s batting issues. Babar scored solely 8 and 6 as Pakistan suffered one other heavy defeat.England received the Lord’s Check by 194 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead within the three-match sequence.With seven gamers eliminated and the teaching employees reshuffled, Babar now faces the problem of main a considerably altered Pakistan aspect within the remaining Check at Edgbaston.