Babar Azam, the Pakistan cricket team captain and one of the best batters in the world, is facing a difficult time both on and off the field. Despite the recent scandal, he is not rattled and seem to be very happy and composed.
While his batting performance remains strong, with two half-centuries in the recent ODI series against New Zealand and a score of 161 in the Test series, it is the team’s overall performance that has hurt his credibility. Pakistan lost the ODI series against New Zealand 1-2, and the Test results were less than satisfactory, with the team barely managing a draw. This comes after a comprehensive defeat in the Test series against England.
The situation has been further complicated by the recent leak of alleged intimate chats, videos, and audio files involving Babar Azam and a woman. The authenticity of the claims is debatable, but the leaked screenshots have caused a stir on social media.
While there has been no official comment from either Babar Azam or the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the scandal, Babar Azam appeared to be unfazed by the social media storm. He took to Twitter and Instagram to post a photograph with the caption, “Doesn’t take too much to be happy.” The comments section of the post was filled with messages of support from thousands of fans, urging Babar Azam to stay strong.
However, the PCB is reportedly considering replacing Babar Azam as the Test captain due to the team’s below-par performance under his leadership. Former Pakistan captain and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, who has worked closely with Babar Azam in the past, has stated that the captain’s position in the team is “weakened.”
Leaked Intimate Chats and Videos Threaten Babar Azam’s Captaincy
“Cricket is my blood, and I watch cricket matches and read about cricket all the time. And from what I see, Babar Azam’s position in the team is being weakened,” Misbah told reporters in Lahore on Tuesday. “Look at some of the questions being asked to him. What do they indicate? He is being weakened as a captain, and I am afraid that will have adverse effects on the team’s dressing room.”
However, Babar Azam‘s position as captain is now being questioned, as Pakistan’s performance on the field has been underwhelming. In the last three Test series that Pakistan have played at home under Babar Azam’s captaincy against Australia, England, and New Zealand, they have won none, and lost two.
Former Pakistan captain and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, who has worked closely with Azam in the past, spoke to reporters in Lahore on Tuesday, stating, “Cricket is my blood and I watch cricket matches and read about cricket all the time. And from what I see Babar Azam’s position in the team is being weakened.”
“Look at some of the questions being asked to him, what do they indicate? He is being weakened as a captain and I am afraid that will have adverse effects on the team’s dressing room.”
According to various reports in the Pakistan media, the Pakistan Cricket Board is now considering replacing Babar as the Test captain due to the team’s below-par performance in red-ball cricket under his leadership. So far, there has been no official comment on the situation from either Babar Azam or the PCB.
The ‘sexting controversy’ that allegedly involved Pakistani cricketer Babar Azam has proved to be nothing more than a joke by a parody Twitter account which several Indian media outlets reported as a story. Several clips and texts posted by an Instagram user supposedly of Babar Azam were shared on Twitter by a handle named @niiravmodi with a false claim that the cricketer was ‘sexting’ his teammate’s partner. Soon, Azam began to be lambasted on news and social media on both sides of the border.
It remains to be seen how the PCB will handle the situation and whether Babar Azam will retain his position as captain. The scandal and the team’s poor performance have put Azam’s future in the Pakistan cricket team in doubt.
