‘Babar should give up captaincy’

Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik, in an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan on Tuesday, spoke about several crucial cricket matters including Babar Azam’s captaincy, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s comments on team’s surgery, the recent NOC denials for Pakistani players, and India’s possible withdrawal from the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Malik also expressed his support for Babar and shared his thoughts on leadership roles within the team.

“Ups and downs are a part of life, especially when you are a cricketer from the subcontinent. Babar needs to stay strong during this time. I know he has a personality that embraces challenges; right now, things are not smiling, but good times will come too,” Malik advised Babar.

“As for his captaincy, my firm stance is that he should play only as a player. That’s my opinion. When he plays as a player, he can do wonders for the team. But in my opinion, he should stay away from leadership,” he further added.

Malik also endorsed Fakhar Zaman as a potential candidate for captaincy.

“According to today’s fearless cricket, Fakhar should be considered for white ball captaincy because he has the sense and leadership capacity for it,” he concluded.

Responding to Naqvi’s suggestion that a major surgery might be needed after Pakistan’s lackluster performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, co-hosted by the USA and West Indies, Malik said: “Look, surgery should be done where there are plenty of issues to be addressed. We don’t have so many issues here,” said Malik.

“We have our best players representing the national teams, so what kind of surgery can you perform on them? Secondly, I think that removing two or three players is not the solution. You need to look at everything. If you have brought someone in, give them time to settle.”

Malik went on to add: “If you give them time, things will improve. Even if someone has the ability, if they don’t know whether they will be playing the next series or not, how can they perform well? So, whoever you bring in, give them a long-term tenure, and then you will see results,” Malik said.

It may be mentioned here that in a recent development, the PCB declined NOCs (No Objection Certificates) to key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Naseem Shah for participation in foreign leagues. Malik supported this decision made by the board chief.

“Look, they have prioritized the national team and considered the workload so that our players can stay fresh. The Champions Trophy is not too far away, so they have taken everything into account and decided not to give the NOC. In my opinion, this is a good thing because the country comes first,” emphasized the all-rounder.

“However, there should be a mutual understanding to ensure that players do not suffer. If there are large numbers involved, the central contract should be such that at the end of the day, the players don’t feel the setback of losing a lucrative contract,” he said.

“It’s okay that the country comes first, but the players also deserve not to suffer so much that it becomes a mental torture for them. The board has made a good decision, but at the same time, there should also be compensation for the players,” he added.

Malik also addressed the issue of India’s potential withdrawal from the Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan. He urged the Indian team to visit Pakistan and keep politics separate from sports.

“Any issues or disputes between the two countries are a separate matter and should be resolved separately in whatever way is necessary. Politics should not come into sports. The Pakistan team went to India last year, and now the Indian team has the opportunity to come here. I think many players in the Indian team have never played in Pakistan, so this would be a good opportunity for them. We are very hospitable people, and I am sure the Indian team should definitely come,” he concluded.