Decision to remove Babar from captaincy was not taken at the right time: Harbhajan

Islamabad January 25 (Online): Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has opened up about the captaincy change in Pakistan cricket after last year’s World Cup.
While speaking to a local cricket website, Singh said that the decision to remove Azam from captaincy was taken at the wrong time.

“The change in captaincy was a reaction to the World Cup. Pakistan’s team did not perform well, and it was a reaction to that. It’s evident that cricket holds significant importance in both India and Pakistan, and if a team doesn’t perform well in the World Cup, it can have a profound impact on players’ careers. I think it was a reaction, but I believe the decision was not taken at the right time. Sometimes, a decision made too late can set you back, and perhaps this decision is one of the reasons that Pakistan’s cricket has progressed backward rather than forward,” said Singh.

He also lauded Azam but said that adequate importance should also be given to other players in the Pakistan team.
“Babar is a good player, but alongside him, there are other talented players in the team as well. It’s a common tendency in both of our countries [India and Pakistan] that we often praise one player extensively, sometimes overlooking the contributions of other players. While Virat Kohli is often praised, similarly, there’s much talk about Babar. However, teams don’t win solely because of one player, they win when the entire team performs well,” he said.

“The other players in the team also need recognition because, ultimately, it’s the collective effort of the team that makes it strong. No doubt, Babar is a quality player, and I hope he start scoring runs. The other players in the team are also quality players, and they need to collaborate to strengthen the team and achieve victory,” he added.
It must be noted that Shan Masood replaced Azam as captain in Test cricket, while Shaheen Afridi is now the captain of the T20 side.