‘Need 2-3 other ‘selfish’ players like him’: Saeed Ajmal and Aaqib Javed back Babar Azam as Pakistan’s all-format captain

Former Pakistan cricketer Saeed Ajmal, however, feels that Babar can be groomed to produce better results, as opposed to being dropped from captaincy entirely. “In a seven-year career, I played under 10 captains. What was I going to learn?” Ajmal said on Pak TV. “People say he (Babar Azam) is selfish. If we are able to find 2-3 other selfish players like him, we will hit gold.”

“It’s possible that he may be negative, or he may be overruling others to take decisions, but to correct these issues, a message can be sent to him. He can be groomed. I don’t see why we need a change,” he said.

Saeed Ajmal. (Reuters/FILE)

Ajmal was also in strong opposition of having three captains for three different formats, saying consistency is key between T20s and ODIs. “There is no need for split-captaincy at the moment. But if required, separate white-ball from red-ball captain only.”

Former fast-bowler Aaqib Javed held a similar view when it comes to Babar’s captaincy. “I understand that the challenges of the modern game mean that it is difficult for a captain to be consistent across three formats,” he told the Events and Happenings Sports YouTube channel. “The new management should focus on widening the pool of players they can pick from. Only when you can create a big talent pool can you think about splitting captaincy. We are just not ready for that.”

Javed said that while the thought process may be to follow in the footsteps of other success stories, Pakistan first have to come up with a systematic plan, as England did after their 2015 World Cup debacle, starting with developing that mindset at grassroots level, in order to replicate their success across formats.

The 50-year-old said that he was surprised by the announcement of Shan Masood as Pakistan’s vice-captain in the absence of regular deputy Shadab Khan for the upcoming series against New Zealand. He believes that shows the captain is not on board with the decision.

“The game revolves around the captain’s decision. It’s very important for three people – the captain, the head coach, and the chief selector – to be on board for these (decisions),” Javedsaid. “If Shadab was unavailable, don’t announce anyone. Go with Babar, and the senior most, like Sarfaraz or Rizwan, can step up if they are required.”

Javed also took issue with conjecture that Sarfaraz Ahmed, following his return to the side, should be made captain again. “It’s great that he is back, and he performed. But can he be back in the mix to be captain after 2 tests? There are no test matches for the next eight months, so this (debate) is unnecessary,” he added.