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Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez on Friday criticised the recent performances of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, saying that Salman Ali Agha is currently a more deserving key player for the national team.
Speaking on a local YouTube channel, Hafeez said key players are those who consistently win matches, and in the past year and a half to two years, Babar and Rizwan have failed to deliver match-winning performances.
“Calling them key players would be wrong and unfair. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not Pakistan cricket’s key players at the moment. Key players are those who win matches for Pakistan,” he said.
Hafeez added that players like Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub, and Hasan Nawaz have shown consistent performances and are the ones currently winning matches for Pakistan.
He also questioned the place of Babar and Rizwan in the team, stating, “I think Babar and Rizwan need to be concerned about their positions in the team. They need to prove themselves as good players first; key players come later. Both were good in the past, but now they are not delivering results.”
Hafeez further criticised Pakistan’s pace duo Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, urging them to be fully involved in matches to produce results.
“Both need to be fully involved in the game, otherwise results won’t come. The same goes for Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, they are also not giving match-winning performances for Pakistan,” he said.
The former all-rounder emphasised that Pakistan cricket does not need big names but players who can contribute consistently over the next decade.
“We should focus on players who can contribute for the next 10–15 years. Our media criticises one or two players and hypes one or two others, which is wrong. We need to talk about those who are actually performing,” Hafeez noted.
He also criticised players for prioritising PR campaigns on social media over performances on the field and urged the PCB to take action.
“If we want to improve Pakistan cricket, those in the AC rooms and those executing plans on the ground must address these issues promptly,” Hafeez concluded.
