World Cup 2023: Babar Azam will have to change his personality, game and mindset, says Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir has advised Pakistan skipper Babar Azam to change his game and mindset as captain after their loss to India.

Babar’s leadership abilities have recently come under scrutiny following Pakistan’s loss to India in the World Cup 2023.

The defeat triggered a wave of criticism, particularly from former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. Malik publicly questioned Azam’s ability to think creatively as a captain and suggested that he should step down from his role.

Babar’s poor run in the World Cup 2023 has also been a point of discussion during the World Cup this year.

World Cup 2023: Points Table

Speaking to Sportskeeda, Gambhir feels that Babar would need to be more positive about his intent and change his mindset to lead his team from the front.

“I feel Babar will have to change his personality, his game and, importantly, his mindset. Pakistan have had a history of attacking batters – Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail. In the present top three, everyone bats in similar mode. If someone has to take responsibility, it has to be their captain, who bats at No. 3.”

“There is no point looking at stats. You may become Pakistan’s leading run-getter, but legacy is created by winning tournaments, not individual records. Wasim Akram took three wickets in the 1992 World Cup final. He did not pick up a five-fer, but everybody talks about it because they won the World Cup. Nobody talks about Mahela Jayawardene’s hundred in the 2011 final. Everyone remembers that India won the match.”

Gambhir also pointed to the difference in the innings between Babar and Rohit Sharma to drive home his point that the Pakistan skipper needs to be more aggressive and not defensive in his approach.

“The team plays how the captain plays. Both Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma scored fifties,” he explained. “One scored a 50, other scored an 80. None of them scored a hundred, but it was the approach that was the difference. If Pakistan were chasing 190, their mindset would have been just to win the game, whether they get there in 35 or 40 overs.”

“It is important for the captain to take responsibility. If the captain is defensive, the team will be defensive. You can’t tell the 10 other players in the room that, ‘you play positive, I will play [anchor] from one end’,” the former cricketer concluded.