Basit Ali Claims Babar-Shaheen Rift Hurt Pakistan Cricket

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has claimed that an alleged rift between captain Babar Azam and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been a major factor in Pakistan cricket’s prolonged decline. His comments come as Pakistan face mounting pressure following consecutive Test defeats to England and major changes to the squad and coaching setup.

Pakistan were beaten by 194 runs in the second Test, a result that gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series ahead of the third and final match. With Babar’s captaincy and batting form under scrutiny, Basit said the reported tension between two of the side’s senior figures had damaging consequences for the national team.

Basit Ali points to captaincy dispute

Basit criticised Babar’s leadership while stressing that his view was not based solely on the team’s performance in England. He said Babar had made a number of wrong decisions as captain and connected Pakistan’s broader problems to the reported disagreement over the captaincy.

“Babar Azam is not a strong captain. I am not speaking about this based on the performance in England. He has made many wrong decisions. The main reason for Pakistan cricket’s downfall is the rift between Shaheen and Babar. When there was a falling-out between the two over the captaincy, Pakistan cricket was ruined that day,” Basit said on the Game Plan show.

He added that public comments praising Shaheen as a bowler and Babar as a batter did not address the apparent fallout. “The rift, whoever created that, the side effects can be seen now,” Basit said.

The claims have emerged against a backdrop of repeated leadership changes within Pakistan cricket. The captaincy has moved between Mohammad Rizwan, Babar, Shaheen and Shan Masood, underlining the instability around one of the team’s most important roles. Basit’s assessment places the alleged Babar-Shaheen disagreement at the centre of that unsettled period, though the comments remain his view on the situation.

For Pakistan, the immediate significance is the scale of the response to the latest Test setback. The Pakistan Cricket Board has made sweeping alterations before the final Test against England, replacing nearly half of the squad and changing the coaching group.

Pakistan overhaul squad and Test coaching staff

Pakistan have called up five uncapped players for the third Test: Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal are also in the group, with the pair having a combined experience of 10 matches.

Seven players have been released from the squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. The changes follow the 194-run defeat that ensured England could not be caught in the three-Test series.

There have also been changes to the coaching staff. Pakistan have parted ways with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, while Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have joined the Test setup. Hesson and Noffke are the head coach and bowling coach respectively of Pakistan’s white-ball side.

Pakistan now head into the final Test with England already holding the series, a substantially revised squad, and renewed attention on the leadership issues raised by Basit. The result of the last match will not alter England’s 2-0 advantage, but it offers Pakistan an opportunity to respond after a difficult period on and off the field.