Babar Azam should quit captaincy and focus on his batting: Ex-Pakistan players
Karachi, Nov 13: Several former Pakistani cricket stalwarts, including Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq, feel that skipper Babar Azam needs to give up captaincy and concentrate on his game following a dismal World Cup campaign under his leadership.
Pakistan failed to qualify for the semifinals following five defeats in nine matches.
They felt that Babar had got his share of chances as a leader but failed to deliver.
"I am not against Babar but he has to decide after looking at his performances as a player and captain whether he can continue to take the pressure of both," said Malik during a reception here on Monday.
"I think we need Babar more as a player. As a captain, he has got his chances to show his worth. Unfortunately, he didn't come through," he added.
Razzaq pointed out that Babar had been captain since late 2019, and four years is enough time to judge someone's capability as a leader.
"I have always said this, if you are honest and sincere in your decisions as captain, things will work out accordingly. Unfortunately, he has made some wrong calls and that is the reason for our poor performance in the World Cup," he said.
Akmal felt that not everyone can be a leader and also the team's batting mainstay.
"He has to make up his mind. What the Pakistan Cricket Board decides is something different. But he has to realise that captaining the team and being the main batsman is not everyone's cup of tea."
"I think we need to have separate captains for red and white-ball formats," he added.
Younis Khan, who captained the team that won the T20 World Cup in England in 2009, felt Pakistan could become better with a bit of fine-tuning.
"I don't think there is a need for any massive changes; just a little fine-tuning and shuffling is required. And, yes, we have to work on finding one or two quality spinners. But this is not a bad team, and its performance in the World Cup is not a reflection of its worth," he said.
Rashid Latif said the PCB chairman too should take the blame for the team's performance.
"It happened in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. Why should only the captain be changed? What about the board chairman? Does he not have any responsibility?"
"First, the PCB has to put its house in order, then look at the team issues. I still say we didn't play well in the World Cup, but if we have two good spinners, this same team will perform differently," he said.
Shahid Afridi said a system has to be created to groom players to handle the pressure of big events.
"I thought our players didn't cope well with the pressure in some matches," he said, before adding that Babar should continue as captain for the upcoming tour of Australian in December.
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NGT halts Karnataka govt plan to divert ₹400 crore from KSPCB
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s move to divert over ₹400 crore from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for non-environmental works has hit a legal hurdle, after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance of the issue.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald, the state government had sought ₹100 crore as a grant, a ₹126 crore interest-free loan, and an additional ₹200 crore loan at an interest rate of 7.5% from the KSPCB. The funds were proposed to be used for projects related to preventing man-animal conflict and for coastal resilience works.
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The principal bench of the NGT, while issuing notices to Karnataka and other states, observed that pollution control boards are already facing severe staff shortages and increasing responsibilities. It noted that while boards are not allowed to fill vacancies to carry out their statutory duties, their funds are being sought for activities not covered under the Air Act or Water Act, which govern their functioning.
Of the total ₹426 crore sought by the state, ₹300 crore was proposed for constructing railway barricades to prevent man-elephant conflict, while ₹126 crore was earmarked for coastal protection works under a climate change mitigation programme.
The report also pointed out that diverting KSPCB funds lacks legal backing under the Water and Air Acts. It referred to a 2023 NGT order that questioned a similar attempt by the Punjab government to divert ₹250 crore, following which Punjab withdrew its proposal.
Officials within the KSPCB have raised concerns over the move, stating that the board requires greater autonomy and urgent reforms. They also flagged acute staff shortages, which have affected the board’s ability to effectively carry out environmental monitoring and regulatory functions.
