Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has voiced his concern and dissatisfaction concerning the leadership setup in Pakistan cricket and the decision-making process related to Babar Azam's resignation.
In a conversation with ESPNCricinfo, Hayden highlighted the structural problems within Pakistan's cricket setup, stressing that the difficulties aren't solely confined to individual leadership but encompass the broader framework and culture of the sport within the nation."
"I have always sensed with Pakistan it's never to do with the actual leadership of the group itself. It's more just the overall game, having a structure that's conducive to a high-performance culture which is the most challenging element, I feel, for Pakistan cricket," Hayden said.
Hayden criticised the decision about Babar Azam's resignation as captain, suggesting that those responsible might have disregarded Babar's exceptional performance as both a player and a captain.
"Whoever was doing the numbers clearly wasn't looking at them when it came to Babar's performances as non-captain and captain. He actually had far better numbers as a captain. We're talking an average of 50 plus more. So he was a natural leader, a good choice. I think they have potentially shot the gun a little bit early in terms of leadership capabilities. He's still a young player, a dominant player in world cricket. So I am a little disappointed and a little shocked about the reaction," he further added.
Meanwhile, He highlighted the real reasons behind Pakistan’s below-par performance in the World Cup 2023.
“Naseem Shah was not there and Shaheen Afridi was not at his best. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz failed miserably. Fakhar Zaman never arrived, but when he did, it was too late,” he added.
Babar Azam opted to resign from captaincy across formats. PCB, on November 15, confirmed appointment of Shan Masood as the Test captain of Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has been named T20I captain.
Shan has been appointed captain till the end of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. Shan’s first assignment as captain will be a three-match Test series against Australia in Australia starting from 14 December.
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah will lead Pakistan Men’s Team in the T20I format and his first assignment as captain will be the five-match T20I series in New Zealand from 12 to 21 January.
- Babar Azam