MANCHESTER, 20 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Former Pakistan Test captain Wasim Akram has criticised Babar Azam’s decision to take charge of the national Test side, describing it as a mistake and saying the batter should have continued playing only as a player. Speaking at a charity fundraising event in Manchester alongside Waqar Younis, Akram said he did not want to blame anyone and acknowledged that his assessment could be wrong. He recalled an incident during the toss for the third Test when Babar was asked about changes involving seven players and the coaching staff and reportedly responded that he was unaware of the changes. Akram said a captain must stand by his players, arguing that a player cannot perform at his best if he feels his captain is not supporting him. In Akram’s view, Babar should have decided after the second Test to continue with the team solely as a player rather than taking on the additional responsibilities of captaincy. He added that the circumstances following the second Test should have prompted Babar to reconsider the decision.