'Poore System Ka Kasoor Hai': Furious Over PAK's WC Exit, Akram Says Babar Can't be the Scapegoat

Pakistan’s exit from the ODI World Cup 2023 has sparked a series of debates back home. Former cricketers are continuously pointing out the loopholes in the Pakistan Cricket Board and the team management, holding them responsible for men in green’s horrendous campaign in India.

A 93-run defeat at the hands of defending champions England ended Pakistan’s journey in the World Cup, leaving them with a lot of questions to be answered. The likes of Wasim Akram, Misbah-ul-Haq, Moin Khan and Shoaib Akhtar analysed the team’s performance on A Sports show ‘The Pavilion’, suggesting several changes in the entire cricketing system of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, renowned Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta asked a couple of questions about Babar Azam and his captaincy. In reply, Akram said only the captain cannot be blamed for Pakistan’s poor show in the World Cup but it’s the entire system which is responsible.

“The captain isn’t the only guy who plays on the field. It’s a fact that Babar has made some mistakes in his captaincy, but it is not just the captain. Ye poore system ka kasoor hai (entire system is responsible),” Akram said on A Sports.

Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts. 

“The captain cannot be the scapegoat. It’s the fault of the entire system. The boys didn’t know who’s the coach. Who is in, who’s out? Everybody is involved, it’s not just one man,” he added.

The second question asked by Gupta was about Babar’s below-par performance with the bat. Akram said the young Pakistan skipper couldn’t deal with the pressure of leading the side in a big tournament.

“Babar Azam is our star player. Jab wo score karta hai to poora Pakistan khush hota hai (Entire Pakistan gets happier when Babar Azam scores). We feel proud of him. But it’s a fact that the captaincy has impacted his performance. The pressure was evident, not only in the World Cup but the Asia Cup as well,” Akram said.

“He should learn that captaincy brings pressure but when he is out there as a batter, he should focus there and then how to get runs,” he added.

Meanwhile, Misbah stated that Babar’s resources in the tournament were ‘toothless’ and their ineffective performance resulted in defeats against big teams.

“As a fan of Pakistan cricket and Babar Azam, I would say, he has disappointed us. We expected that he would be among the top three performers in the World Cup but he could deliver in Indian conditions,” Misbah said.

“As far as captaincy is concerned, Babar had toothless resources. If a bowler is picking up three wickets with the new ball but your spinners are ineffective in the middle overs and batters are unable to score then Babar alone couldn’t have done much,” he added.