Kapil Dev defends Babar Azam, says he turned Pakistan into number 1 team

As criticism engulfs Pakistan captain Babar Azam after the team's disappointing World Cup campaign, former Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev was defended the skipper and praised his calibre.

The veteran Indian cricketer came to Babar's defence as he returned home to harsh criticism for his captaincy in the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India, during which the Green Shirts' performance left Pakistani cricket buffs disappointed.

Pakistan's journey in the World Cup finally ended after the team lost its last game to England, while New Zealand, South Africa, India and Australia have all qualified for the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, after the disastrous failure in the ODI World Cup, Pakistani cricketers including the captain are being severely criticised by former players and netizens on social media platforms. Some former Pakistani players, including Kamran Akmal, have also suggested Babar step down from captaincy so that he can focus on his batting.

Kapil, however, has spoken in support of Babar in an Indian podcast.

"You judge the phase on the basis of performance. You would say that the Pakistan cricket captain, Babar is not [performing] well, because you are doing so at present. It was the same captain who, six months ago, turned Pakistan into a number one team," he said.

He added fans have a habit of taking recent performances into account.

"If a player scores zero and you seek the public's opinion on him, then 99% would ask for dropping him. An ordinary player comes in and plays a brilliant 100-run innings, he is considered a superstar," Kapil said.

The veteran cricketer insisted that a player shouldn't be judged based on their current performance, as it is important to observe how they play, and the passion and talent they possess for the game.

"One can be dismissed on the first ball. There is no batsman in the world who can't be dismissed on the first ball."

It is important, he said, to focus on the method of playing cricket.