Babar Azam: A criticized yet successful captain

 Babar Azam

 A criticized yet successful captain.Babar Azam, the young Pakistani cricketer, has been in the limelight for quite some time now. Azam took charge as Pakistan's captain in limited-overs cricket last year, and his journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. He has faced criticism and praise in equal measure, but his performances as captain speak for themselves.

Azam's rise to captaincy

 He had to prove his worth as a batsman before he could lead the Pakistani team. He was already a well-known name in the cricketing world, having made his debut for Pakistan in 2015. However, it was his consistent performances in the following years that caught the selectors' attention.

In 2019, Azam was appointed as the vice-captain of the Pakistani team, and he was soon given the responsibility of leading the team in the T20 format. After some impressive performances as captain, he was then made the captain of the ODI team as well.

Azam's captaincy journey

He has led the team to some impressive victories, but also faced criticism for some of his decisions. There have been times when he has been questioned for his team selection, his field placements, and his batting order.

However, despite the criticism, Azam has managed to keep his calm and lead the team to success. He has been instrumental in the team's victories against some of the best cricketing nations in the world. Under his leadership, Pakistan has managed to defeat New Zealand, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in their own backyard.

One of the major criticisms levied against Azam has been his lack of aggression on the field. Some have accused him of being too defensive and not taking risks. However, Azam has defended his style of captaincy, stating that he believes in playing a smart game and not taking unnecessary risks.

Azam's succes

He has been in great form with the bat, scoring six centuries and 22 half-centuries in ODIs and T20Is combined. His highest score of 125* came against Zimbabwe in 2020, and he has been consistently scoring runs for the team.