NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Moin Khan didn't mince words in his assessment of Babar Azam's leadership and intent in the ICC World Cup match against India. Openly criticising Babar, Moin branded him a "scared captain" after Pakistan suffered seven-wicket defeat against their arch-rivals on Saturday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Batting first, Pakistan put on a below-par 191 runs in 42.5 overs with Babar scoring 50 off 58 balls before being bowled by Mohammad Siraj.
"Babar's batting in terms of intent, as captain, it was not his natural game. He took 58 balls...He should've maintained the flow a bit and attacked slightly. Ye to intent hota hain, pura reflect karta hai team ke andar (the intent reflects in the team)," Moin, who played 69 Tests and 219 ODIs for Pakistan, said on a Pakistan TV show.
"Aapka kaptaan jab dara hua nazar ayega, nahi khelega, to ladke bhi phir wese hi react karte hain (If your captain looks afraid to play his shots, the other players in the team also react similarly)," Moin said.
Pakistan were cruising at 155/2 at one stage and were on course for a big total, but suffered a dramatic collapse, losing eight wickets for a mere 36 runs.
"They looked under pressure, and clearly, because of this, they didn't execute proper shots. Aap pehle se dare hue honge 'yaar mai shots khelunga to out na ho jaun' (you are afraid beforehand, thinking you'll get out while playing shots). I didn't see intent from any batters," he added.
India will now take on Bangladesh on October 19 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, while Pakistan will face Australia on October 20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
