‘If Babar Azam doesn’t resign...’: Tanveer Ahmed tells Pakistan Test captain to take a stand against PCB's brutal purge

'If Babar Azam doesn't resign...': Tanveer Ahmed tells Pakistan Test captain to take a stand against PCB's brutal purge originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Tanveer Ahmed urges Babar Azam to resign as Test captain amid PCB changes.

Ahmed said Babar should take a stand if he disagrees with the PCB's decisions.

He warned that staying could make Babar appear to prioritise his position over principle.

Pakistan suffered back-to-back Test defeats against England.

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Tanveer Ahmed urges Babar Azam to resign as Pakistan Test captain

Former Pakistan cricketer Tanveer Ahmed appealed to Babar Azam to show more resistance against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), saying that the Test skipper must resign if he is unable to accept the changes being brought into the team.

The role of Babar in this regard has gained significance owing to the crisis prevailing in Pakistan cricket at the moment. The PCB has made several changes in the team's setup, impacting many players due to a brutal purge.

Ahmed thinks that Babar shouldn't just continue as a captain if he is against the current move.

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"If Babar Azam doesn't resign from captaincy, then I'll be very disappointed. You should resign from captaincy," he told PTV Sports.

MORE:Journalist questions PCB's mass sacking after Lord's Test

Tanveer Ahmed tells Babar Azam to take a stand to PCB

Ahmed contended that Babar needed to clarify his stand and not continue holding himself as the leader when other players who are around him are being stripped off the squad.

"You should say 'I can't play cricket like this, nor can I be a captain. If I had taken captaincy, it wasn't because I brought six boys and took them out'."

Ahmed further cautioned Babar that retaining the captaincy could affect his image in the field of cricket and make him appear to value his position over anything else.

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"And if you (Babar) think that it's okay, 'changes are happening, I will continue to be a captain'. So, if people think that you are doing this because you want to be a captain, then you are giving people a chance," Ahmed said.

According to Ahmed, true leaders have the strength to take decisions even at the risk of losing their positions.

"The value of a person is built there. A person who takes decisions is powerful. And the person who takes decisions, he has respect in front of the people," he concluded.

MORE:Babar Azam falls ill with fever ahead of third Test vs England at Edgbaston

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Babar Azam cannot have it both ways

Ahmed is quite audacious here, but his question has its merits. If Babar feels that what PCB does to its players is wrong, his silence while being the captain of the side is certainly problematic.

A good leader should not only captain the side when everything goes well, but also assume responsibility when tough times come.

Resigning will send a very clear message to the PCB, but it might also place Pakistan in an awkward situation at a very important juncture. Babar thus needs to think about the repercussions and make his choice.

What will be the most unfortunate thing here is Babar's attempt to straddle two stools. If Babar feels that he deserves the post of Test captain, then he needs to prove it now.

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