'A renowned name in cricket': Former skipper backs Babar Azam

Former Pakistan captain Saleem Malik backed incumbent skipper Babar Azam, saying that he should be given enough time to prove his captaincy skills.

Babar, who has been facing criticism for his captaincy, has garnered support from several former and current players. He is currently leading the Men in Green in all game formats.

“Babar Azam is a young captain and you can’t learn the art of captaincy in one day,” Malik told local media in Lahore in support of the 28-year-old cricketer. 

“Azam is a renowned name in Pakistan cricket and he should be given a complete chance to prove himself. This is also important in terms of making a good Pakistan team.

“If Babar makes mistakes, we should guide him instead of doing unnecessary criticism.”

He also heaped praise on opener Fakhar Zaman, who smashed a third consecutive century to guide Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second ODI of the five-match series on Saturday.

“Fakhar Zaman played really well and this is precisely the reason why I have always said that he should be a permanent member of our playing XI,” he said.

The last three matches of the ODI series, which Pakistan lead 2-0, are in Karachi on May 3, 5 and 7.

“The pitches in Rawalpindi were conducive for batting but I don’t think that the same can be said about the surface in Karachi. Spinners will play a crucial role in Karachi and I don’t think that we will see big scores,” Malik said.

The 60-year-old also hoped that Pakistan will put up a good show during this year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in India.

“We are playing good cricket at the moment and I’m hopeful that we can continue that and win the World Cup,” he concluded.