Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar didn’t hold back in his criticism of Babar Azam, calling him a “fraud” and claiming he was never the right choice as a leader. His remarks came after Babar failed to make an impact against India, leading to Pakistan’s six-wicket loss and leaving them on the brink of elimination from the ICC Champions Trophy.
“We always compare Babar Azam to Virat Kohli. Now tell me, who is Virat Kohli’s hero? Sachin Tendulkar—he has 100 centuries, and Virat is chasing his legacy,” Akhtar said on the show Game On Hai.
“But who is Babar Azam’s hero? Tuk tuk,” he added, without naming a specific player.
Akhtar didn’t stop there, criticizing Pakistan’s mindset and leadership. “You have chosen the wrong heroes. Your thought process is flawed. You were a fraud from the beginning,” he said bluntly.
The former pacer admitted he wasn’t even interested in discussing Pakistan cricket but was doing so because he was being paid. “This is a waste of time. I’ve seen this deterioration since 2001. I’ve worked with captains whose personalities would change three times a day,” he remarked.
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Pakistan has now suffered back-to-back defeats in the tournament, losing to New Zealand in their opening match before their disappointing performance against India in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Akhtar had nothing but praise for India’s star batter Virat Kohli, who played a match-winning knock with an unbeaten century. “Whenever Virat Kohli faces Pakistan, he delivers. Hats off to him—he’s a superstar, a modern-day great, and a white-ball run chaser. He deserves all the praise,” Akhtar said.
He also slammed Pakistan’s team management for poor decision-making. “I’m not even disappointed because I knew this would happen. You can’t go in with just five bowlers when the whole world is playing six. This strategy is just brainless and clueless. I’m really disappointed,” he expressed in an emotional video posted on his X account.
