Ex-chief selector talks about struggles with Babar Azam's captaincy

Mohammad Wasim highlights Babar Azam's fitness issues and stubbornness in Pakistan's squad amid captaincy scrutiny.

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Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Wasim has discussed his tenure as chief selector, describing the challenges he encountered, especially in managing the white-ball captain Babar Azam.

In an interview with a local sports platform, Wasim revealed that Babar was "very stubborn" and often resistant to squad changes recommended by the selection committee.

“It was painful to make him understand the advantages of changes. He was very stubborn, and I overstepped my limitations to get him on board with certain calls. He was not ready to accept changes,” Wasim said.

This revelation comes amid scrutiny of Babar Azam's future as Pakistan's white-ball captain, following the team's early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

He also addressed issues within the squad, particularly accusing Imad Wasim of concealing a knee injury during the global tournament held in the West Indies and the USA.

“Imad has a knee injury, but he has been hiding it for years. We always speak about Azam Khan’s fitness levels, but Imad is also suffering from the same problem. He was dropped from the side for that same reason, and I also dropped him during my tenure so that he could work on his fitness,” he said.

In a further revelation, the 46-year-old claimed that four coaches had identified a group of players in the men's team as a detrimental influence, likening them to "cancer" and warning that Pakistan would struggle to win with them in the squad.

“I will not take names, but four coaches said that a group of players is cancer to the team. If they are part of the squad, Pakistan can’t win. I tried to remove them from the team, but the team management recalled them,” he concluded.