Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has said that he does not agree with the decision to reinstate Babar Azam as Test captain, insisting the batter should not have been put under extra pressure.
Speaking in an interview with Wisden, Amir was asked for his view on Babar taking over the Test captaincy again. He said that Babar had only recently returned to form after a long lean patch.
“He just started performing well now after a long, long time, like after two and a half years, you can say he’s looking in good touch,” he said.
Amir explained that handing him the captaincy at this stage adds unnecessary pressure, given the scrutiny players face in Pakistan. “And suddenly you’re putting him under pressure, like in Pakistan, you know, from media, our culture is very tough. You’re always on your toes. You have to be answerable for every single thing. So now he’s captain,” he said.
He added that he would have preferred to see Babar play with a freer mind, without the added responsibility of leadership. “I don’t know what he’s going to do. I think, for me, a personal opinion, he should have been playing like a player, free of mind, less pressure because he’s the only one like we can trust as a player, right? He’s the best player in Pakistan right now. But I think as a captain, that’s not a good decision,” he said.
Babar previously captained Pakistan in Test cricket between 2020 and 2023 before stepping down. He has now been reappointed to the role, replacing Shan Masood, who was removed as Test captain.
Amir has played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is for Pakistan during his international career.
