Mohammad Amir has said that re-taking the Pakistan Test captaincy could put pressure on Babar Azam, which could put his returns with the bat in danger.
Babar was reappointed as Pakistan’s Test captain earlier this month for the tours of West Indies and England. He had stepped down from the role in July 2023 but has assumed the leadership role again, replacing Shan Masood at the helm of the Test team.
Speaking on Wisden’s The Scoop Extended, Amir pointed out the off-field pressures Pakistan captains have historically had to handle. He also noted that Babar's struggles with the bat over the last few years, with four years having now passed since he last scored a Test hundred.
After being at the centre of widespread criticism post the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Babar had a blockbuster PSL where he was the highest run-scorer, amassing 588 runs at an average of 73.5 and a strike rate of 145.9 with three fifties and two centuries. He followed that up with scores of 68 and 47 in the only Test he played on the Bangladesh tour.
“He just started performing well now after a long, long time, like after two and a half years, you can say he's looking in good touch,” Amir said.“And suddenly you're putting him under pressure, like in Pakistan, you know, from media, our culture is very tough. You're always on your toes. You have to be answerable for every single thing. So now he's captain.
“I don't know what he's going to do. I think, for me, a personal opinion, he should have been playing like as a player, free of mind, less pressure because he's the only one like we can trust as a player, right? He's the best player in Pakistan right now. But I think as a captain, that's not a good decision.”
What is Babar Azam's record as Pakistan Test captain?
In his first innings after becoming Pakistan’s Test captain, the 31-year-old scored only 23 runs against the West Indies. However, overall Babar has a brilliant record with the bat while leading the team in Tests, having amassed 1750 runs in 36 innings at an average of 50 with four centuries and 11 fifties.
Pakistan also fared better under Babar when he was the captain, winning 10 out of 20 Tests, losing six and drawing the other four. On the contrary, Masood, whom Babar replaced, won only four out of 16 Tests he captained.
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