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Pakistan cricket team were pushed on the edge of elimination from the ODI World Cup 2023 after their shocking defeat against Afghanistan. Following their eight-wicket loss against their Afghans, the Men in Green stand in a situation where they need to win all four of their remaining league games to qualify for the semi-final stage of the tournament. After the defeat, skipper Babar Azam received heavy criticism from several cricket experts, including former captain Shahid Afridi.
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Afridi came down heavily on Azam and said that he is unable to inspire the team as a leader. Not only this, but the former all-rounder also said that Pakistan cannot win with such an attitude. The former player was on Samaa TV, where he said, “Pakistan cannot win with this body language! Babar Azam’s body language on the ground and during the press conference was down. When you are not in the game, when you are hiding inside a shell, when you are not positive... sometimes, I feel we keep waiting for a miracle. But miracles only happen when you know how to fight.”
Afridi went on to say, “See, captain is everything. If he puts the effort in fielding, dives a lot, runs around and backs his boys, the team gels up and puts extra effort. Because if the captain is putting that much effort, his teammate would feel ashamed if he doesn't put the similar effort.”
Moreover, a report by the PTI suggests that Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi are being discussed as potential names that can replace Azam as the next Pakistan captain. The report claims that the former World No. 1 batter has had ample opportunities, but he failed to deliver his best as the captain.