Rashid Latif called Babar Azam a ‘dummy captain’ for staying silent during the PCB’s mid-tour overhaul. He said Babar should have resigned after seven players and key staff were sent home, sparking debate over his leadership.
Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam has come under heavy fire from former wicketkeeper-batter and captain Rashid Latif, who branded him ‘dummary captain’ following the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) massive squad overhaul during their tour of England.
The Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB pressed the panic button following two consecutive defeats in the ongoing three-match Test series against England at Headingley and Lord's, deciding to axe seven players, including senior names like Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, and Imam-ul-Haq, alongside red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.
Under the captaincy of Babar Azam, Pakistan have had a miserable start to the Test tour of England, failing to cross the 200-run mark in any of their four innings, with the highest being 194 during a massive 389-run chase in the Lord’s Test, which eventually culminated in a heavy 194-run defeat after an already dismal innings and 135-run loss at Headingley.
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Latif Questions Babar’s Silence Amid PCB Shake-Up
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s unprecedented shake-up in the middle of the tour has sparked outrage among former cricketers, with Rashid Latif leading the charge by questioning Babar Azam's complete lack of a public stance.
Speaking on a YouTube show with Dr. Nauman Niaz, Latif called Babar a ‘dummy captain’ because he failed to stand up for his support staff and mentor, Sarfaraz Ahmed, while the board made sweeping changes behind closed doors. He added that a real leader must possess the courage to push back against management when entire contingents are dismantled mid-series.
“Babar should have resigned here. Half of the team has been sent back home. If I were in his place, I would have given up the captaincy. You have become a dummy captain. There's a difference between a leader and a captain,” Rashid Latif said.
“You have sent seven players back. Imam, I understand, was injured. But still, you are sending six players back. You sent back your coach, your mentor. The coach who won the Champions Trophy. You sent Umar Gul back. You aren't standing up for your team. Your coach has been sidelined, and you are sitting quietly. It shows that the PCB always needs a dummy captain,” he added.
In the first two Tests of the ongoing series against England, Pakistan have been under immense scrutiny, especially Imam-ul-Haq’s fitness and form, with the opener suffering a calf injury at Lord’s before being sent home ahead of the third Test.
Moreover, the performance of the senior players, including skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Ali Agha, came under heavy fire after failing to anchor the batting lineup during crucial phases of the series, with Rizwan and Agha also being handed their marching orders alongside Imam as part of the seven-player purge before the final Test.
Rashid Latif’s ‘Dummy Captain’ Remark Sparks Debate
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif’s sharp ‘dummy captain’ remark has sparked a debate among fans, with several supporters backing his criticism of Babar Azam’s silence while the PCB carried out its sweeping changes.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), Pakistan cricket fans and enthusiasts expressed mixed reactions to Rashid Latif’s comments, with several backing his criticism of Babar Azam’s silence while others questioned whether the captain could have influenced PCB’s decisions to overhaul the squad and coaching mid-way through the Test tour of England.
However, some expressed frustration over the PCB’s handling of the team, with the debate continuing over Babar’s role amid the ongoing chaos.
Babar Azam was ruled out of the opening Test at Headingley due to an untimely finger injury, forcing him to watch from the sidelines as Pakistan suffered a crushing innings defeat before returning to lead a struggling side in the second Test at Lord's.
In the second Test, Babar registered scores of 8 and 6, further compounding his struggles with the bat and increasing the pressure on his shoulders as the team prepares for the final fixture of the tour.
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