Kapil Dev, India's 1983 World Cup-winning skipper, has warned critics to stop taking a dig at Pakistan skipper, Babar Azam, and reminded them of his class and previous achievements.
After a disappointing World Cup campaign, former cricketers like Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir want Babar to face the axe.
The team finished fifth in the points table with just four wins in nine matches and is facing severe criticism. Babar Azam's form and leadership, especially, has come under the scanner in the last five weeks.
In their final group stage match of the World Cup, Pakistan were beaten by 93 runs by England which further piled pressure on Babar to relinquish his captaincy.
Bet here on the World Cup and other cricket matches!
In the post-match press conference by former England Michael Atherton, Babar expressed his intention to continue with his captaincy stating, "We will sit together and take stock. We'll take positives from this and discuss mistakes. I'm keen to lead the rebuild."
What did Kapil Dev say about Babar Azam?
"If you say that Babar Azam is not the right choice [for captaincy] today, it is because you are looking at just his current performance. He was the same captain, who made Pakistan team No.1 [in ICC ODI rankings] six months ago.
"When someone gets out for zero, 99 per cent of the people would want him to be dropped. If an ordinary player comes and scores a brilliant hundred, then they call him a superstar. So don’t look at just current performance. Look at how he has approached the game, how much passion and talent he has," Kapil said to TRS Clips.
How many runs did Babar Azam score at the ODI World Cup 2023?
Babar Azam finished the tournament with over 300 runs to his name. Azam had an underwhelming trip to India, by his own high standards. Babar failed to record a single century at the World Cup if that could sum up his performance in the tournament.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 320 | 40.00 | 82.90 | 4 | 0 | 74 |
MORE: Pakistan players rally around Babar Azam, captaincy future in doubt after World Cup debacle
Who will win the 2023 World Cup?
India and Australia are now among the favourites for the 2023 World Cup title. The odds were as follows ahead of this match, and you can click here to make your bet (selected regions).
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| India | 1.95 |
| Australia | 4.50 |
| South Africa | 5.50 |
| New Zealand | 7.50 |
Ready to make your predictions and win on the Cricket World Cup? To find all the latest odds, betting and cricket scores and fixtures from India click here
You can also play Dafabet's CWC 2023 predictor game, and win the latest Apple gadget and big INR prizes, by clicking here!
