ISLAMABAD, August 16, 2025 — Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez fired a strong critique at his former teammates, declaring that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are no longer the team’s key performers. Speaking on a local YouTube channel, Hafeez emphasized that consistent match-winners like Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub, and Hassan Nawaz have taken their place.
Hafeez’s remarks underscore the demands of modern cricket, where form matters more than reputation. “Key players are those who win matches for Pakistan,” he stated. “If we look at the past year and a half to two years, the players showing consistent performance are Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub, and Hassan Nawaz.”
He further contended, “Calling them key players would be wrong and unfair. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not Pakistan cricket’s key players at the moment.” Hafeez added that both must now justify their spots in the national side, highlighting that previous accolades alone are no longer sufficient.
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Hafeez didn’t stop at Babar and Rizwan; he also criticized the national pace spearheads, saying, “The same goes for Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi—they are also not giving match-winning performances for Pakistan.”