Babar Azam’s leadership faced a major setback as the Pakistan cricket team, under his captaincy, was ousted from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 after failing to qualify for the semi-finals in their last group match against England.
Despite winning the toss, England chose to bat, scoring 150 runs and making it impossible for Pakistan to chase the target in 3.4 overs.
With only four victories out of eight games and a net run rate (NRR) of 0.036, Pakistan is currently in fifth place. Their chances of advancing were contingent on winning the last match with a significant margin to surpass New Zealand’s run rate, but that possibility no longer exists.
Both teams are now playing for pride after being eliminated from the tournament, prompting discussions about the need for closer scrutiny. Babar Azam is reportedly considering stepping down from white-ball captaincy, having already consulted with close aides about his future.
Despite entering the World Cup as the top-ranked ODI batter, Babar Azam’s average of 40.28 is below three of his teammates, and his leadership has been criticized by former players.
While acknowledging that he hasn’t performed as expected in the World Cup, Azam denied feeling pressure from the captaincy affecting his batting form. However, he mentioned considering his future plans once back in Pakistan. Amid opinions circulating about his captaincy, Azam emphasized that advice could be given directly rather than through TV commentary.
OIC Summit: Saudi Crown Prince Demands Immediate Halt To Gaza Bombing
Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged for an immediate halt to the Gaza bombing.
He emphasized the humanitarian crisis and criticized the international community’s failure to address Israel’s alleged violations of international humanitarian laws.
Speaking at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Gaza in Riyadh today, he called for the release of all captives and prisoners, condemning what he described as a “dual standards” approach by the world.
