Former Captain Rashid Latif Wants 'Technically Sound Professionals' To Run Pakistan Cricket

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif is very disappointed with the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s recent performances in international cricket. The Men in Green suffered a humiliating defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024 match against the USA, which was played in Dallas on June 6, and then lost it both the Test matches against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

The 55-year-old did not mince his words while discussing the present situation of Pakistan cricket. According to him, the squad requires improvement in several aspects to overcome the lean patch. Latif reckoned only “technically sound professionals” can help Pakistan cricket get back to its shape.

“Pakistan cricket is currently in the ICU. They will need a professional doctor. They need technically sound professionals to run things, both physically and financially. Trainers and many other things are required. You can see there are many problems, whether it’s on the field or off the field,” Latif said in a YouTube podcast.

Latif also dissected the recent performance of Babar Azam, who is the current captain of Pakistan’s white-ball teams. The former cricketer felt that Babar should step down from captaincy to put more focus on his batting. To clear his thoughts, Latif referred to Sachin Tendulkar, who had moved away from the leadership role in a bid to concentrate on his own game.

“We need to remember that he (Babar) was removed forcefully as captain. When the mind is not functioning correctly, it affects the nerves as well. You try to play hard on every ball. He should let go of the idea of being a captain and focus on freeing himself from mental pressure,” Latif explained.

“The issue seems to be more about mental stress than technical performance, and it’s apparent that he is struggling to cope with a significant amount of mental pressure,” he added.

Babar had stepped down from his role as Pakistan’s captain last year after Men in Green failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup semi-finals. In his place, Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as Pakistan’s T20I captain for the five-match series against New Zealand in January 2024. But after Afridi suffered a 1-4 defeat on his captaincy debut and a change in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) leadership, Babar was appointed as Pakistan’s T20I captain once again in March.