'Babar needs rest’: Basit Ali slams poor performance in England Test

Former Test cricketer Basit Ali has slammed the Pakistan cricket team for their poor showing in the first Test against England, attributing the loss to favoritism and ineffective leadership.

In a discussion on his YouTube channel, Basit voiced his discontent with the team's performance, specifically calling out Babar Azam's captaincy and Shan Masood's leadership failures.

Basit Ali stressed that Babar Azam needs a break, suggesting that the skipper has been underperforming for too long without accountability.

"Babar Azam needs rest. Babar should say that I need to rest. It has been 18 innings since he has performed. If some other player was playing, then he would be out of the squad after three games, like Fawad Alam. This is the bitter truth," Basit said on his YouTube channel.

"Babar should reduce his stance. It is a lot now. The whole world is laughing. Is this how to play?" he added.

Criticizing Shan Masood's captaincy, Basit said the left-hander should be opening instead of batting at number three. "Shan Masood has failed as captain. I have been saying that Shan is an opener he should open. But he played at number three. Now, what will happen? Who will you drop? He should play at his number. He doesn't even know captaincy. What has happened to this cricket team? It is shameful," he remarked.

The former cricketer also lambasted the overall fitness levels of the team, claiming that the players' physical shortcomings were exposed during the Multan Test.

He mentioned that Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel dropped crucial catches, and when it was time for the team to bat, "their legs were shaky" after spending long periods fielding.

He praised England’s dominant performance, particularly commending Harry Brook’s incredible 454-run partnership, which dismantled Pakistan’s bowling attack and placed England in a commanding position. He predicted that Brook, who scored a triple century, will become a future cricket legend.

Basit also took a dig at the PCB Chairman, suggesting that if he can't fulfill his responsibilities, he should step down. "The chairman has given everyone a free hand.

If he can't take responsibility, he should resign," he stated. The former cricketer questioned the absence of the head coach and batting coach during the team's struggles and called for younger players, including Under-19 prospects, to be given opportunities in the squad.

With Pakistan's chances of avoiding defeat rapidly diminishing, Basit warned that even rain may not be enough to save them from a certain loss.

England had declared their innings at 823/7, leaving Pakistan reeling at 152/6, still trailing by 115 runs at the close of play.