Wasim Akram criticizes Babar Azam for not taking Shoaib Malik

NEW DELHI: Pakistan fast bowling legend Wasim Akram strongly criticised captain Babar Azam for not being "intelligent enough" with team selection and omitting veteran middle-order batter Shoaib Malik from Pakistan's squad for the ongoing Men's T20 World Cup in Australia.

Pakistan's chances of reaching the semifinals of the T20 World Cup are now hanging by a thread after losing to Zimbabwe by one run in their second Super 12 match at Perth on Thursday. They had lost to India in their opening match.

Their prolific opening pair of Azam and Mohammad Rizwan 'idn't fire and with 43 needed off 37 balls with seven wickets in hand, Pakistan's middle order crumbled in spectacular fashion to lose the match on the final ball of the innings.

"This is what I was talking about. As Waqar said, everyone has to sit down. Everyone from Pakistan from last year, including us, knew that the middle order is slightly weak. Now, this bloke is sitting here, Shoaib Malik. If I was the captain, what is my end goal as a skipper? It is to win the World Cup."

"I will go to any extent in selecting the team who can win you the World Cup. If I want Shoaib Malik in the middle-order, I will make sure that I convey that to the chairman of selectors otherwise I will say I am not captaining the side if I don't get my side," said Akram on the 'A Sports' Channel.

Malik's last T20I appearance came in 2021 against Bangladesh and hasn't played a single match for Pakistan this year. "Babar has to be more intelligent. This is not a gully cricket team where anybody comes into the team on the basis of preferences. I am just saying what I am hearing. If I was the selector, I would have kept Malik in the middle order on the very first day. It's Australia, it's not Sharjah, Dubai, or Pakistan that there will be dead wickets," added Akram. IANS

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