Mohammad Wasim Reveals Challenges in Dealing with Babar Azam as Chief Selector
Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Wasim has shed light on the challenges he encountered as chief selector of the team, particularly in dealing with former all-format captain Babar Azam. Wasim, who served as head coach from December 2020 to December 2022, described Babar as “very stubborn” and prone to frustration when the selection committee made changes to the squad.
“It was a pain to make him accept changes. He was very stubborn and sometimes, I had to overstep my boundaries just to get him on board with certain decisions,” Wasim said, as quoted by PakPassion.
Wasim’s comments come amidst Babar’s recent struggles in the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh. After managing scores of 0 and 22 in the first Test, Babar scored 31 in the first innings of the second Test in Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, Wasim has taken on a new role as head coach of the Pakistan women’s team. He is joined by former Pakistan bowlers Junaid Khan and Abdur Rehman as assistant coach and spin-bowling coach, respectively. Notably, no batting coach has been appointed, with Wasim expected to take on that role himself.
Wasim’s coaching credentials stem from his successful tenure with Northern, a team in Pakistan’s domestic structure. Under his leadership, Northern achieved successive runners-up finishes in the revamped Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. His focus on nurturing young talent culminated in a National T20 Cup victory in the 2019-20 season.
