Shoaib Akhtar launched a scathing attack on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan after Pakistan’s humiliating loss against India in Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday. Pakistan were completely outplayed as Virat Kohli‘s century all but guaranteed a semi-final spot for India. On the other hand, it was the second consecutive loss for Pakistan who have a tough road ahead in the competition. During the analysis, Shoaib Akhtar went on to question the ‘talent’ in the current Pakistan side and asked whether a Babar Azam can be compared to a Virat Kohli anymore due to the difference in their performances.
“Kaunsa talent? Kaunsa talent hai? Kis cheez ka? (Which talent, what kind of talent?)” Akhtar said on Career TV’s YouTube channel.
“Would you rate Babar to Virat Kohli? Iyer to Khushdil Shah? Rohit Sharma to Fakhar Zaman? Our Rizwan, which one is the talent? Talents are displayed. It’s not about talking, you have to deliver,” he added.
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez, on the other hand, said that the current side has talent but blamed the selectors for poor planning and selection. He went to say that the selection committee did not pick the ideal side that could succeed in the Champions Trophy conditions.
“Pakistan’s got talent. Planning is very poor. By choice, we don’t keep a quality opener and extra spinners. We have dominated the conditions for nine or 10 years as a home team. We should know what is the winning mantra here [in Dubai]. We don’t have a second spinner. We take a mystery spinner, who can’t be a big turner. No mystery spinner is one by default. We have no finger and wrist spinners. The ones we have are non-regular,” he said during the same discussion.
The backlash due to the poor show in the Champions Trophy, including the humiliating defeat to India, hit the Pakistan team hard and its support staff led by former fast bowler Aaqib Javed is set to be overhauled, according to a cricket Board source.
Pakistan lost to arch-rivals India by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday, after their 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener in Karachi on February 19.
A well-informed source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that Aaqib will be relieved of his duties as interim head coach after the Champions Trophy.
“Obviously there is backlash over the team’s performance in the CT. The Board hasn’t decided as yet on whether the team will have separate head coaches (for red and white ball teams) but one thing is certain the current support staff will be overhauled now after the poor show in the Champions Trophy,” the source told PTI.
“But the way the Board has been changing coaches and selectors since last year, it will be a challenge to find other candidates for these positions,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
