Rashid Latif Archives

Former captain questions Babar Azam’s place in T20I side

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has questioned Babar Azam’s place in the T20I side, saying the batter’s approach and strike rate raise concerns amid a slump in form.

Babar, 31, has failed to rise up to the occasion in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, managing 91 runs in four innings at an average of 22.75.

Speaking on a private channel, Latif questioned Babar Azam’s inclusion in the national side after his exclusion due to his approach in the shorter format.

“Babar is no longer a player of this format”.“Where did it improve? Why did you bring him back?” he questioned.

The wicket-keeper batter also scrutinized Pakistan’s approach with the bat, noting that modern-day batting demands batters play aggressively in response to changing situations.

He further remarked that a batter puts pressure on his fellow player after consuming 20 to 25 balls without playing aggressively.

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He also emphasized that set batters must take responsibility and bat deep, especially when partners are struggling to score freely.

It is worth mentioning that Babar was recalled to the national side in the home series against South Africa.

Babar, also the leading run-scorer in T20Is, was dropped from the side in December 2024 due to concerns about his strike rate. He also missed several key assignments for the Pakistan team, including the Asia Cup 2025, in the meantime.

Since his return to the T20I side, Babar has only scored 373 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.87. He managed to cross the fifty-run mark on three occasions, with 74 his highest score.

Interestingly, his strike rate is also on the lower side, which is 82.08, as compared to his overall T20I career, which is 128.02.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan climbs to career-best third in ICC T20I rankings

Rashid Latif backs Khawaja Nafay as wicket-keeper in World Cup 2026

Former captain Rashid Latif has thrown his support behind young wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay, backing him for selection in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 following his promising international debut against Sri Lanka.

Nafay made his first appearance for Pakistan in the rain-affected third and final T20I at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday.

The right-hander impressed in a high-pressure chase, scoring a brisk 26 off 15 balls as Pakistan pursued a revised target of 161 in a shortened 12-over contest.

Although Pakistan eventually fell 14 runs short, Nafay’s composure and clean striking drew praise from several quarters, including Latif.

Taking to social media platform X after the match, the former wicketkeeper-captain lauded Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha’s late onslaught and strongly endorsed Nafay as a World Cup option behind the stumps.

“Captain played well tonight. Khawaja Nafey Wicket Keeper for WC 26,” Latif wrote.

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The match saw Sri Lanka level the three-match series 1-1 after the second T20I was washed out due to rain.

Batting first, the hosts piled up 160-6 in 12 overs, powered by a sensational cameo from captain Dasun Shanaka, who smashed 34 off just nine deliveries, including five sixes.

Kusal Mendis chipped in with 30 off 16 balls, while Janith Liyanage (22 off 8), Dhananjaya de Silva (22), and Charith Asalanka (21) added valuable runs in a frenetic innings.

In reply, Pakistan showed intent but fell short despite a stunning effort from Salman Ali Agha, who top-scored with 45 off just 12 balls, striking five fours and three sixes.

Mohammad Nawaz contributed 28 off 15, while Nafay’s knock stood out on debut in a demanding situation.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers held their nerve in the closing stages, with Wanindu Hasaranga leading the attack with figures of 4-35 in three overs.

READ: ICC considers alternate venues for Bangladesh’s World Cup games: reports

Rashid Latif suggests dropping THIS batter for Sri Lanka clash

Former captain Rashid Latif has urged Pakistan to make a few changes to their playing XI for the must-win Super Four clash against Sri Lanka in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

Both sides head into the contest under pressure after opening-round defeats. Pakistan suffered a crushing loss to arch-rivals India, while Sri Lanka were undone by a spirited Bangladesh side.

Latif, writing on his official Facebook account, proposed a new-look batting order that sees wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris and youngster Hassan Nawaz opening the innings.

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This reshuffle pushes Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub down to three and four, with Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, dropped from the XI.

Farhan has scored 132 runs in four games, making him the team’s highest run-getter and third overall in the competition.

However, his modest strike rate of 101.53 has drawn criticism, and Rashid Latif believes Pakistan cannot afford a slow start in a do-or-die fixture.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

For the middle order, Latif suggested Hussain Talat at five and captain Salman Ali Agha at six, followed by Mohammad Nawaz at seven. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf was omitted.

The bowling unit, according to Latif’s plan, would feature Shaheen Afridi at eight, spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed at nine and ten, and Haris Rauf as the spearhead at eleven, offering Pakistan a mix of pace and spin options.

Rashid Latif’s Playing XI for Sri Lanka clash

Mohammad Haris (wk), Hassan Nawaz, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Salman Ali Agha (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, and Haris Rauf.

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Former Pakistan captain slams India over handshake controversy

Former captain Rashid Latif has strongly criticised Team India after they refused to shake hands with Pakistan players after the Asia Cup 2025 clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, calling the act “unsportsmanlike.”

Chasing 128, India sealed the contest in the 16th over as skipper Suryakumar Yadav cleared the ropes for the winning runs.

Instead of the customary post-match handshake, Yadav and Shivam Dube exchanged fist bumps and walked straight to the dressing room, leaving Pakistan players waiting.

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Reacting to the gesture, Latif took to X (formerly Twitter) and lashed out at the Indian team.

“Yes, you are India cricket, yes, you are the best team in the world… but not to shake hands at the end of the game shows your real colours! Pakistan players were waiting, but Indian players went straight into the dressing room! Where is ICC?” Latif wrote.

The incident also drew an official response from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a formal protest, terming India’s behaviour “inappropriate.”

“Indian players’ refusal to shake hands is against sportsmanship,” Cheema said in a PCB statement.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

Cheema further questioned match referee Andy Pycroft’s call to prevent captains from shaking hands at the toss, arguing it went against the spirit of cricket.

In protest, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opted to skip the post-match presentation ceremony, where skippers traditionally reflect on the game.

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No Pakistani player named in Rashid Latif’s WTC Team of the Tournament

Former captain Rashid Latif has revealed his ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 Team of the Tournament, and it features some of the biggest names in world cricket, but not a single Pakistani cricketer.

Latif shared his XI on X (formerly Twitter), selecting South Africa’s title-winning skipper Temba Bavuma as captain and Kyle Verreynne as the wicketkeeper.

The opening duties go to India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Australia’s Usman Khawaja.

Jaiswal was a revelation for India, piling up 1,798 runs at an average of 52.88 with four centuries. Khawaja, the rock of Australia’s top order, followed with 1,428 runs at 39.66.

WTC 23-25
Team of Tournament
Vashasvi Jaiswal
Usman Khawaja
Joe Root
Temba Bavuma Captain
Harry Brook
Kamindu Mendis
Kyle Verreynne WK
Nathan Lyon
Matt Henry
KG Rabada
Jasprit Bumrah pic.twitter.com/WGuxwN0YC8

— Rashid Latif | 🇵🇰 (@iRashidLatif68) June 18, 2025

At No. 3, Rashid Latif named England’s Joe Root, who led the WTC run charts with a staggering 1,968 runs at 54.66, including seven centuries, underlining his class yet again.

The middle order is a mix of resilience and flair. Bavuma gets the nod not just for his leadership but also for guiding South Africa to their first ICC title in over two decades.

He’s joined by England’s Harry Brook (1,463 runs) and Sri Lanka’s rising star Kamindu Mendis, who impressed with 1,123 runs at a phenomenal 62.38 average.

Latif’s bowling attack blends guile and firepower. Nathan Lyon (66 wickets) is the lone specialist spinner, joined by pace trio Matt Henry (48 wickets), Kagiso Rabada, and Jasprit Bumrah.

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The Indian pacer bowled brilliantly during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, bagging 32 wickets and the Player of the Series award. Bumrah finished the WTC cycle with 77 scalps, just behind Pat Cummins’ 80.

The final itself was a historic moment for South Africa. They stunned Australia at Lord’s, chasing down 282 runs to clinch their maiden WTC title.

Bavuma and Aiden Markram led with the bat, while the bowlers turned the screws in the second innings to spark emotional scenes for a side still chasing white-ball redemption.

Pakistan, meanwhile, ended the WTC cycle at the bottom of the table, winning just five of 14 Tests, which perhaps explains their absence from Latif’s elite XI.

Rashid Latif WTC 2023–25 Team of the Tournament: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Temba Bavuma (c), Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Nathan Lyon, Matt Henry, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah.

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Former cricketer urges head coach, selectors to resign after New Zealand series loss

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has expressed his disappointment with the national team’s poor performance in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, urging the resignation of the head coach and selectors.

The Men in Green lost the fifth and final T20I of the series as New Zealand successfully chased down a paltry 129-run target in 10 overs, resulting in a series victory of 4-1.

Seifert led New Zealand’s charge with the bat, smashing 97 runs from 38 balls, which featured ten sixes and six boundaries.

James Neesham bagged the Player of the Match award for his outstanding five wickets.

While speaking on a private TV channel, Rashid referenced head coach Aqib Javed’s comment regarding preparation for the Asia Cup and World Cup, stating that his statement was inappropriate given the current circumstances.

He questioned whether the selectors and head coach could remain in their roles until the World Cup and Asia Cup, given the team’s current performance?

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“I don’t think so our head coach intends to stay in his position until the World Cup and the Asia Cup after this performance, ” he remarked.

“Following such a performance, there should be no discussion about future plans. The head coach should focus on daily affairs and the team’s performance,” he added.

Rashid Latif emphasized Sufyan Moqim’s performance and questioned his exclusion from the team. He suggested that it seems unlikely the selectors and head coach will remain in their positions until the major events.

“Sometimes, a player emerges who unites an entire country, and today, Sufyan Moqim demonstrated once again that he stands out from the rest with his exceptional performance. Rashid Latif stated,

“The head coach and selectors should resign following the national team’s current performances, ” he concluded.

READ: Kagiso Rabada calls for balance between bat and ball in cricket

‘Keep 90s players away’ Rashid Latif issues bold statement on Pakistan cricket

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has made a bold statement about Pakistan cricket, asserting that cricketers from the 90s should be kept away from key roles.

While speaking on a Private TV channel, Rashid shed light on Pakistan team’s inability to win the ICC tournaments.

The former wicket-keeper suggested that the former cricketers from the 90s, especially the 1992 World Cup winning squad, should be kept away from key roles in Pakistan cricket.

“It took 17 years [for Pakistan to win another World Cup] because the 90s players did not spare Pakistan cricket,” said Rashid.

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“Keep 90s players away from management and the team, then they will try to win.”

Rashid Latif emphasised that the players from this era have served Pakistan cricket for a long time and should now be rested.

“They have been serving Pakistan cricket for so long now. So, I think, they should rest now,” said former wicket-keeper.

For the unversed, the hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, crashed out of the Champions Trophy after successive defeats at the hands of New Zealand and India.

The Men in Green’s final group game against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain, leaving the 2017 edition winners without a win in their first ICC event hosted in nearly three decades.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

Pakistan finished last in Group A behind Bangladesh, with just one point and a negative Net Run Rate (-1.087).

Read: ‘Most unimpressive captain ever’ Indian politician fat-shames Rohit Sharma

Former Pakistan captain slams Shaheen Afridi after New Zealand loss

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif called for a major overhaul of the national team’s pace attack, specifically criticising left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi after the thumping defeat in the tri-nation ODI series opener against New Zealand.

Shaheen conceded 88 runs, including 25 runs in the final over of the innings, while taking three wickets in his quota of 10 overs.

Speaking on a private news channel, Rashid Latif demanded the removal of the main pacers including Shaheen from the team, questioning their match-winning potential.

Latif also expressed concerns about Naseem Shah, saying that despite playing for a long time, he hasn’t done much for Pakistan.

The former cricketer also pointed out that players like Khushdil Shah and Salman Agha are often easy targets for criticism, while the “big fishes” like Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah are not held accountable for their performances.

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He believes that if these senior players don’t perform, the rest of the team will also struggle. “Saud Shakeel and Tayyab Tahir will perform when the main players step up,” Latif said.

Latif emphasized the need to focus on the team’s fast bowling, given the condition of fielding and batting.

He also mentioned that Haris Rauf’s injury had a significant impact on the team’s performance, suggesting that things might have been different if he was fit.

Latif urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a fresh approach, with a focus on finding new bowlers and holding the senior players accountable for their performances.

READ: Pakistan selection committee shortlists candidates to replace injured Haris Rauf

Rashid Latif credits Rizwan’s leadership for Pakistan’s win over Australia

Former wicket-keeper Rashid Latif has attributed the historic victory of Pakistan in the ODI series against Australia to the leadership of newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.

Rizwan took over the captaincy of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team after Babar Azam stepped down from the position last month.

In his first assignment as captain, he successfully guided his team to a historic victory, breaking a 22-year drought by securing an ODI series win in Australia.

Pakistan lost the first match of the three-match series by two wickets, however, they staged an impressive comeback in the next two matches to win their first series in Australia since 2002.

Pakistan’s historic victory prompted reactions from cricketers and analysts from across the globe.

Rashid Latif, during an interview with a local news channel, credited the inspired captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan for the team’s stellar performance.

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“When you have a good captain, the team performs on the ground. We can clearly see this happening in this series,” Latif stated. “In this win, captaincy, player selection, and pitch conditions all played a significant role.”

The former captain also lauded the impressive performances of Pakistan’s players, highlighting how they skillfully adapted to the conditions in Australia.

“The bowlers performed beyond expectations, dismissing Australian players who are familiar with their home pitches,” he added.

“And the batting, which chased down 141 with ease, was equally impressive. This win against Australia in Australia is highly encouraging for Pakistan cricket.”

It’s worth noting that Pakistan and Australia will now face each other in the first T20I of the three-match series on November 14 in Brisbane.

The subsequent matches are scheduled to be played on November 16 and 18 in Sydney and Hobart, respectively.

Squads for Pakistan-Australia T20I series

Australia: Josh Inglis (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Philippe, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Pakistan: Muhammad Rizwan (c), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.

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“Decision regarding Pakistan’s white-ball captaincy to be made after Rizwan-Naqvi meeting”

Former wicketkeeper batter Rashid Latif claimed that the decision regarding appointing Pakistan’s white-ball captain will be made after a meeting between Mohammad Rizwan and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Pakistan are set to embark on a white-ball tour to Australia for a three-match each ODI and T20I series, scheduled to run from November 4 until November 18.

The tour itself is a tough challenge for the Green Shirts, considering their previous record in Australia but the touring side faces another stiff challenge, a leadership void, which was created by Babar Azam after he officially stepped down as the team’s white-ball captain earlier this month.

Babar’s resignation came in the wake of the national team’s disastrous campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 where they suffered their first-ever group-stage exit, mainly pertaining to their shock loss against the United States of America (USA) and gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India.

Right when Babar’s second reign as Pakistan captain ended, the cricketing body began searching for a new leader and wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan emerged as the front-runner.

Several reports within the national media indicated Rizwan as the next white-ball captain of the national team but the PCB is yet to make an official announcement.

Meanwhile, Rashid Latif came up with an assertion that the announcement regarding the appointment of the new white-ball captain is facing a delay due to a meeting scheduled between PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi and potential candidate Mohammad Rizwan.

“The decision regarding the captaincy for ODIs and T20s will be made after a meeting between the PCB chairman and Mohammad Rizwan. The meeting was expected to take place, but the PCB chief was not in the country,” Latif posted on his social media handles.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan’s squad for the white-ball tour to Australia will be announced in the coming days and the national team is scheduled to depart on October 29.

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