Michael Atherton questions Babar Azam's authority after PCB squad changes

Michael Atherton has questioned the authority of Babar Azam and the role Pakistan’s captains are allowed to play after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made sweeping changes to the Test squad midway through the England series. Pakistan suffered defeats in the opening two Tests and responded by sending seven players home. Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq were among those removed from the squad, while coaches Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were also asked to leave. Mike Hesson will now take charge of the team for the third and final Test at Edgbaston, beginning on September 9. The scale of the changes has placed Babar under increasing scrutiny. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif had already argued that Babar should have resigned after the seven players were sent home, while also branding him a “dummy captain”. Atherton has now questioned whether Babar, or indeed any Pakistan captain, has enough influence within the setup to lead effectively following such a major intervention from the board. The former England captain believes the changes could have lasting consequences for Pakistan, regardless of what happens in the final Test. “Not in this instance, no, because of the damage it will do in the long term. This is no way to manage players and no way to build a long-term vision at all,” Atherton said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast. “I feel it's a horrible position for a captain, Babar Azam, to be in - and what kind of authority does he or indeed any captain of Pakistan have in this outfit?” he added.

Atherton suggested that the events of the England tour could make it extremely difficult for Babar to establish authority over the Pakistan dressing room. He acknowledged that modern-day captains do not have the same control they once enjoyed, but insisted that a captain still needs to have a meaningful say in the team’s affairs. “One understands that the captain is not all-powerful these days, you're not going back 30 years ago when they perhaps ran the show, but they have to have some authority within a team,” said Atherton. The former England captain then raised a question over how Babar can move forward after the PCB’s intervention. "Given what's happened, how do you lead that team now?" he added.

Babar reclaimed Pakistan’s Test captaincy from Shan Masood earlier this year after Bangladesh defeated Pakistan in their two-match series. His side subsequently drew the series against the West Indies before travelling to England.

The 31-year-old missed the first Test against England because of an injury, but returned for the second match at Lord's. His comeback, however, did little to ease Pakistan’s batting problems. Babar scored only 8 and 6 as Pakistan suffered another heavy defeat. England won the Lord's Test by 194 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. With seven players removed and the coaching staff reshuffled, Babar now faces the challenge of leading a significantly altered Pakistan side in the final Test at Edgbaston.