Following Pakistan’s miserable T20 World Cup run, Parthiv Patel criticises Babar Azam, saying, “If the captain is a selfish player there’s no chance.”

Both the 2009 champions and captain Babar Azam, who took over from Shaheen Afridi just months before the major event after giving up the role the previous year, have come under heavy fire since their sudden exit.

After the seasoned batsman guided Pakistan to a disastrous first-round exit in the just concluded T20 World Cup 2024, Parthiv Patel took a swipe at Babar Azam. After losing to India and the United States, the Men in Green ended a poor campaign with little victories over Canada and Ireland.

Babar Azam was referred to as “selfish” by former India wicketkeeper Parthiv, who blamed him for prioritising his own interests over the welfare of the team.

“Zaman had to step down because the captain wanted to open, and if the captain is a self-centered player, there is no chance.” It contains nothing novel. Everyone says it, even Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis,” Parthiv remarked at a talk show; a videotape of the interview went viral on social media.

During the Pakistani series against New Zealand in January, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan opened the innings with flair. Ayub was benched for the first few games of the World Cup, though, as Babar resumed his preferred starting position.

The former cricket player who is now an analyst continued by saying that Pakistan’s squad lacks players who are capable of hitting at 150–160 stroke rates.

“They don’t have any players, at least not T20 players. With the current state of cricket, we are talking about a 150–160 strike rate, and these players are still in the 120s. They lag considerably behind all other international teams,” Parthiv said.

Parthiv Patel making fun of Babar Azam, he is hitting below the belt pic.twitter.com/VrpcUUBWdN

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In November, Pakistan will play their first Twenty20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against the current 50-over World Cup champions in Australia. November 4, 8, and 10 are the dates for the three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, respectively. In the meantime, November 14, 16, and 18 are the dates for the T20Is in Brisbane, Sydney, and Hobart, respectively.