Pakistan pace legend Shoaib Akhtar made a scathing attack on Babar Azam, labeling the former Pakistan captain a “fraud” while veteran all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez bluntly told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to drop the star batter after another disappointing show.

The statements were made on live television shows, moments after Pakistan suffered a six-wicket crushing against India on Sunday in Dubai, leaving their ICC Champions Trophy campaign at the mercy of other teams’ results.

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Babar, who has often been compared with India’s iconic batter Virat Kohli to breaking a plethora of batting records, the former Pakistan skipper was believed to have touched greatness early in his career. But amid rising expectations, the 31-year-old stuttered.

On Sunday, Babar managed to score a mere 23 from 26 balls against India as Pakistan suffered a second consecutive loss in the Champions Trophy. Earlier in the opener against New Zealand in Karachi, Babar did score a fifty, yet he found himself amid criticism owing to his ultra-slow approach.

“We always compare Babar Azam to Virat Kohli. Now tell me, who is the hero of Virat Kohli? Sachin Tendulkar has scored 100 centuries, and Virat is chasing his legacy,” Akhtar said on the show ‘Game On Hai.’

“Who is Babar Azam’s hero? Tuk tuk (Without naming any cricketer. You have picked the wrong heroes. Your thought process is wrong. You were a fraud from the beginning.”

Babar is not Inzamam-ul-Haq

Hafeez, who was also on the panel, questioned Babar’s performances in big-ticket matches. He said a player is identified as a champion based on his show in high pressure situations. While Hafeez labelled Babar as a “good” player, he admitted the 31-year-old has failed to help Pakistan win any series in a SENA country single-handedly.

“Babar Azam is not the true king. It is called “Virat Kohli. Look at his performances. He has dominated all over the world. Get out of your PR machinery. We need a performer. Babar Azam is a good product. You tell me his one player of the match performance against India. Why do we always remember Shoaib Akhtar’s performances against India? Why Younis Khan is a big name when we talk about the India-Pakistan match. Shoaib Malik has big performances against India,” he said.

“Tell me Babar Azam, the best Pakistani product that has come in the past 10 years. Tell me his one good performance against India. Babar Azam is not Inzamam-ul-Haq. Inzi bhai used to win matches for Pakistan in difficult conditions. Babar Azam has not won a single match against India to date. He has been playing for the past 10 years and has never become a player of the series in SENA countries. In Australia or England, he has never led Pakistan to victory.”

Hafeez, hence, in a blunt message to the PCB and the selection committee, urged them to move on from Babar and invest in a fresh face.

“We need to show them the mirror. We need to realise that those who we are banking on are not performing and we should move on from them. Give the opportunity to those who are waiting in the system,” he added.