Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Wasim has opened up about the challenges he faced during his time as the chief selector, particularly highlighting the difficulties in dealing with white-ball captain Babar Azam.
Speaking in an interview with a local sports platform, Wasim characterized Babar as “very stubborn,” noting that the captain frequently resisted squad changes proposed by the selection committee.
“It was extremely difficult to make him understand the benefits of certain changes,” Wasim explained. “He was very stubborn, and I had to push beyond my limits to get him to agree to certain decisions. He simply wasn’t willing to accept the changes.”
These comments come at a time when Babar Azam’s role as Pakistan’s white-ball captain is under intense scrutiny following the team’s premature exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Wasim also touched on internal issues within the squad, specifically accusing Imad Wasim of hiding a knee injury during the tournament held in the West Indies and the USA.
“Imad has been dealing with a knee injury for years, but he has kept it hidden. We often criticize Azam Khan’s fitness, but Imad faces similar challenges. He was dropped from the team for that reason, and I also made the decision to drop him during my tenure so he could focus on his fitness,” Wasim stated.
In a more alarming revelation, the 46-year-old former selector claimed that four coaches had identified a group of players within the men’s team as a harmful influence, even going so far as to describe them as “cancer” to the squad, warning that Pakistan’s chances of winning would be slim if they remained on the team.
“I won’t name names, but four coaches pointed out that a certain group of players is like a cancer to the team. As long as they are part of the squad, Pakistan won’t be able to win. I tried to remove them, but the team management brought them back,” Wasim concluded.
