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Aaqib Javed Sacked Babar Azam To End Grouping As Pakistan Benefits From Surgery

Aaqib Javed reportedly dropped Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi from Tests (@sshayaannn,@avr_nomi/X.com)Aaqib Javed reportedly dropped Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi from Tests (@sshayaannn,@avr_nomi/X.com)

The Pakistan cricket team is undergoing a significant internal overhaul as Aaqib Javed, with the backing of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, has been given a free hand to address internal issues, including groupings and strict fitness policies. According to Cricket Pakistan, Javed purposely dropped Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi for fostering a negative dressing room environment.

Pakistan cricket team won its first Test at home after a wait of three years by beating England in the second Test at Multan. This comes after seniors Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah were dropped in the aftermath of brutal defeat in the first Test.

Aaqib Javed punishes Babar, Shaheen over grouping charges

Meanwhile, Cricket Pakistan reports that ahead of the second Test, PCB formed a new selection committee of 6 members, informally headed by Aaqib Javed. The latter asked for a complete free hand in the decision making which was granted by Naqvi.

It has been reported that both Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were benched, not only due to underperformance but also to send a message against groupings within the team. Aaqib Javed's strong stance is clear that any player involved in internal politics risks being sent home. This decisive approach seems to be fostering a new sense of unity and discipline within the squad, with hopes that it will lead to long-term success.

Additionally, as part of Aaqib Javed's strategy, fitness standards have been temporarily relaxed. In the past, players like Noman Ali and Zahid Mahmood were benched for failing to meet stringent fitness criteria, but these requirements have now been eased to allow the team to focus on performance rather than rigid fitness goals.

This surgery has resulted in immediate success for Pakistan. However, whether the strategy leads to long-term positive impact or not remains to be seen.

Rizwan to replace Babar Azam as white-ball format captain

In a significant development, Pakistan's experienced wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is poised to replace Babar Azam as the captain of Pakistan's white-ball teams. According to PTI, the PCB is expected to announce Rizwan's appointment ahead of the side's upcoming series against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Earlier, Babar relinquished his captaincy citing added pressure and increase in workload.