ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Aakash Chopra blames Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's poor captaincy for defeat against South Africa

Pakistan Cricket Team's defeat against South Africa in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday (October 27) has triggered a big debate over Babar Azam's captaincy in the ongoing competition.

In a recent episode of JioCinema's daily sports show '#AAKASHVANI,' Chopra didn't mince his words as he critiqued the captaincy of Pakistan's skipper, Babar Azam, in a nail-biting World Cup 2023 encounter against South Africa.

The match in question was a heart-stopping thriller, which saw South Africa narrowly defeat Pakistan by a slender one-wicket margin. With such a tight finish, there were bound to be questions raised, and Aakash Chopra seized the opportunity to dissect Babar Azam's captaincy decisions during the game.

Chopra's critique focused on the latter stages of the match when South Africa needed only a few runs with plenty of balls in hand. Raising a poignant question, the former India opener asked: "What kind of captaincy is Babar doing? Towards the end, there were plenty of balls left and very few runs that South Africa needed to get."

He went on to point out that despite the situation in the game, where very few runs were required by the South African team, Babar kept a significant number of fielders inside the 30-yard circle, allowing the opposition to easily take singles.

"Babar kept 4-5 fielders within the circle and allowed his opponents to take singles. There's no way that if South Africa were going to bat for 50 overs, they wouldn't have got to the target," he added further.

In essence, Aakash Chopra questioned why Babar Azam was not applying pressure to the South African batsmen when they were on the verge of victory. Instead of bringing fielders closer in an attempt to create catching opportunities, Babar's field placements allowed the batsmen to comfortably rotate the strike. This, Chopra argued, was a questionable decision.

Chopra's criticism didn't stop there. He painted a vivid picture of the scenario by stating, "Even if Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis were to suddenly turn up and be allowed to bowl, they would not have been able to defend it." This humorous but pointed remark underlined the magnitude of the opportunity Babar Azam potentially missed.

The heart of the matter was clear: South Africa had lost eight wickets, and Pakistan was on the cusp of a historic comeback. But the field placements and captaincy decisions left Aakash Chopra puzzled. The question that echoed from his analysis was, "What was he doing?"

As cricket enthusiasts around the world continue to dissect and discuss the many thrilling moments of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Aakash Chopra's critique of Babar Azam's captaincy has added a thought-provoking layer to the tournament's narrative. While cricket is a game of uncertainties, the decisions made on the field by captains often hold the key to their team's success.

In this case, Aakash Chopra felt that Pakistan, under Babar Azam's leadership, had potentially missed an opportunity to grasp victory from the jaws of defeat. Whether this critique impacts Pakistan's approach to future matches in the tournament remains to be seen.