‘Look at yourself first’ – Azhar Ali tears into Aaqib Javed over Pakistan’s England struggles

Pehle khud ko dekho – Azhar Ali ne Aaqib Javed ko sunaya Pakistan ke England mein struggle par (Photo Source: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) Pakistan ka Test tour England mein August aur September 2026 mein cricket board ke liye ek crisis point ban gaya hai. Team pehle hi Headingley mein first Test aur Lord’s mein second Test haar chuki hai, teesra aur final Test September 9 ko Edgbaston, Birmingham mein shuru hone wala hai. Inn haar ne squad mein bade changes la diye hain, jisme Sarfaraz Ahmed ko Test head coach aur Umar Gul ko bowling coach ke pad se hatana shamil hai Lord’s ki haar ke baad. Saat players ko ghar wapas bhej diya gaya, aur unki jagah naye players ko bulaya gaya. Azhar Ali, jo Pakistan ke ex-captain hain jinhone nation ke liye 97 Tests khele aur 19 centuries banayi, ab unhone iss tour ke collapse par apni baat rakhi hai. Ye 41 saal ke player 2016 mein England mein kheli gayi Pakistan team ka hissa the, jisme woh series 2-2 se draw hui thi. Log pehle kehte the ki Pakistan se kuch bhi expect kar sakte ho. Lekin ab hum woh inconsistency bhi nahi karte. Hum totally consistent ho gaye hain – sabse negative tareeke se, Azhar ne Hindustan Times ko bataya. Azhar Ali ki Aaqib Javed ke decision-making par criticism Azhar ne seedhe Aaqib Javed ke High Performance Director ke tenure ko target kiya hai, unke decisions ke pattern ki taraf ishara karte hue jo backfired hue hain. Former captain ka maanna hai ki Javed ko team ke poor performances ki responsibility leni chahiye aur unhone key personnel moves ke peeche ke judgement par sawal uthaye hain. Azhar ne kaha ki Javed ne Sarfaraz Ahmed ko Test head coach aur Babar Azam ko captain dono ko England tour se kuch mahine pehle hi appoint kiya tha, phir bhi ab woh unke struggles se khud ko alag kar rahe hain. Humein aise kharab decisions pichle teen saal se mil rahe hain. Unhein performances ki responsibility leni chahiye. Unke judgment par sawal uthne chahiye. Maine iss hafte unka interview suna, aur woh Sarfaraz Ahmed [Lord’s ki haar ke baad Test head coach ko nikal diya gaya] aur Babar [Azam] par blame daalne ki koshish kar rahe the, Azhar ne kaha. Unhone unhein kuch mahine pehle hi appoint kiya tha! Mere liye itna kaafi tha kisi ko judge karne ke liye. Unka har decision backfires hota hai, aur phir woh kehte hain: Ye meri galti nahi hai. Pehle khud ko dekho. Aur agar aap iss team ko control nahi kar sakte, agar aap Pakistan cricket mein difference nahi la sakte, toh hat jao, unhone aage kaha. Ali ne zor diya ki PCB ko ek clear vision apnana chahiye aur fans mein confidence wapas lane ke liye immediate steps lene chahiye. Unhone warning di ki lagatar kharab performances se public ka sport mein interest aur kam ho sakta hai. Pakistan mein cricket ko proper care aur ek aise vision ki zaroorat hai jo ek aise nation ko ummeed de jo apni appetite khone ki kagaar par hai. Agar humne apne socks up nahi kiye, toh hum logon ko wapas nahi la payenge. Aap ummeed nahi kho sakte, lekin signs acche nahi hain, Ali ne kaha. Azhar Ali ne criticism ke beech Babar Azam ko support kiya Azhar ne Babar Azam par pressure ke bare mein bhi baat ki, yeh sujhav dete hue ki former Pakistan captain ek particularly difficult period se guzar rahe hain. Abhi Pakistan ki captaincy karne ka shayad sabse bura waqt hai. Mere hisaab se unhein apne options par bhi gaur karna chahiye. Har player low scores ke daur se gujarta hai, lekin as a nation hum unse hamesha deliver karne ki umeed karte rahe, aur criticism aati rahi. Isne unke dimag par asar kiya hai, aur unhone khud par doubt kiya hai, jabki unhein koi internal support bhi nahi mila. Mujhe nahi lagta ki woh Misbah ya, kaho toh, Younis Khan jitne mentally strong hain, Azhar ne kaha. Azhar ne aage Babar ke mental approach ki tulna former Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq aur Younis Khan se ki. Misbah Babar jitne talented nahi the, lekin woh kahin zyada tougher the. Younis ko criticism mili lekin unhone kabhi apne targets nahi khoe. Har koi alag hota hai, vaise toh. Humein yeh realize karna hoga aur ek aisa environment banana hoga jahan woh flourish kar sakein, na ki peeche hataye jayein, unhone conclude kiya.