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| Najam Sethi's statement on Babar's captaincy: 'The World Cup is on the horizon and pressure is being put on Babar here' |
It is usually rare that there is a Cricket World Cup year and the captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team does not become a controversy.
The controversy over the captaincy of Pakistan cricket team captain and legendary batsman Babar Azam has been raging for the past several months and its basis is not just rumored.
Babar Azam's captaincy has been debated ever since the announcement of the team against New Zealand after Pakistan's first-ever series defeat against Afghanistan.
Several senior players, including Babar Azam, were rested in the series against Afghanistan. Even before this series, Babar Azam's captaincy was under discussion and after Najam Sethi's tweet on April 4, the speculations in this regard got more fuel.
He wrote in his tweet 'Babar Azam came to me today and I told him that he will be the captain of the T20 and ODI team for the New Zealand series. The people who were spreading the wrong news have lost their jobs today.
It should be noted that the ODI captains of all the teams around the world have been announced for the Cricket World Cup. Usually in the rest of the world announcements in this regard are made for a long time.
Recently, when New Zealand captain Kane Williamson suffered an injury, the New Zealand Cricket Board has already given the captaincy duties to Tom Latham for the World Cup.
In such a situation, the question was being raised on social media why captaincy is given based on series in Pakistan and what is the need to put unnecessary pressure on the Pakistani team and especially Babar Azam due to all this.
It was fueled when Najam Sethi, speaking on journalist Waheed Khan's YouTube channel yesterday, explained not only Pakistan's stance on hosting the Asia Cup and India's participation in it but Babar Azam's captaincy. Also discussed in detail.
However, today he had to immediately make explanatory tweets in this regard. Let's know what he said in this interview.
If Babar's batting and captaincy are good, he will remain captain: Najam Sethi
In this interview, Najam Sethi said in response to the question regarding Babar Azam's captaincy, "I asked Mickey Arthur if he wanted one captain or two. Mickey said he wanted one, so Babar is the only captain in both formats of the white ball. There are captains.'
Najam Sethi said that statistics are very important to him and if Babar Azam performs well, he will be retained as captain. Otherwise, other journalists including you will question his captaincy.
However, in this interview, he also made an important revelation that when he took charge before the New Zealand series, the interim selection committee (headed by Shahid Afridi) changed the captain apart from the changes in the national team. wanted to do.'
It should be noted that after the New Zealand series when there were talks about removing Babar Azam from the captaincy, many tweets came out in support of Babar Azam on Twitter. Meanwhile, it is forbidden to even think that the hashtag was also used.
Najam Sethi explained his statement today in a series of tweets. He wrote in tweets that 'For several months, the media and cricket circles have been debating the pros and cons of keeping Babar Azam as captain in all formats of the game. Since this decision ultimately rests with the chairman, I sought the opinion of the selection committees headed by Shahid Afridi and now Haroon Rashid.
"Both the committees deliberated on it and then both later came to the conclusion that what was going on should be maintained." I have subsequently stated this position publicly. My decision will be subject to the success or failure of this retention.
"I will also be guided by what the selectors and the director of cricket operations and the head coach say about the future. I hope they will be in the best position to advise me. Therefore, we should support Babar and not make the issue controversial in the interest of the national team.
Babur Azam figures as captain
However, after the New Zealand series, Shahid Afridi resigned from his post due to his busy schedule and was replaced by Haroon Rashid as the head of the selection committee.
It should be remembered that earlier Najam Sethi had said last month that Babar will be the captain and that too for as long as he wants to be the captain.
It should be noted that under the captaincy of Babar Azam, Pakistan played a total of 66 T20 matches so far, out of which five were rained out. Thus they won 40 out of 61 matches and lost only 21. This makes a 64% winning ratio.
During this time as captain, he also scored 20 fifties and two centuries.
Similarly, Babar Azam played 19 ODI matches as a captain, out of which he won 13, lost only 5, and tied one. Thus it becomes a 68% winning ratio
During this time he scored 1371 runs as a batsman at an average of 81.
Pakistan's performance under his captaincy in Test matches was disappointing. Babar captained 18 Test matches and out of them won eight, lost six, and drew four.
During this time as a batsman, he scored 1653 runs at an average of 53 and scored 11 fifties and four centuries.
Arslan Jat, a user, said, "One thing is beyond understanding. Every day, why the discussion about the captaincy of Babar Azam starts, even if it stops, the chairman himself teases."
They make three or three tweets that the World Cup is on their heads, and instead of giving them confidence, they put pressure on themes, the performance did not happen, and there were questions like so and so.
A user Zafar Awan wrote that "PCB is not doing Babar Azam any favor by making him the captain. Babar is currently the best batsman in Pakistan and he is also doing well as a captain." Why do they discuss the captaincy in the media every day and meet Najam Sethi Sahib Babar every three months to assure him of his captaincy?