Babar Rizwan Captaincy Under Scrutiny in PSL 2025
The Pakistan Super League 2025 hasn’t started well for two stars. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both admired batters, are struggling as captains. Despite strong squads, their teams are failing to deliver wins. Babar’s Peshawar Zalmi have won just 1 out of 4 matches. Rizwan’s Multan Sultans have lost 3 straight games.
Fans are now asking questions.Is it bad luck haunting these two leaders? Or are there deeper captaincy issues at play?
Babar Azam Captaincy Lacks Flexibility and Clarity
Babar Azam is known for his calmness and classy batting. But calmness doesn’t always translate into sharp leadership. Zalmi’s game plans have looked predictable and weak. Babar insists on opening the innings every match. This forces natural openers to bat out of position. This hurt the team’s momentum and batting rhythm. A natural attacking opener, Owen is being wasted at lateral position.
Tactical errors like this are costing Zalmi valuable games. Babar’s field placements also look defensive at times. There’s a lack of attacking intent in crucial overs. Spinners are under-bowled, and pacers overused without strategy. Even his own batting feels under pressure with captaincy weight.
Peshawar Zalmi’s Bowling Strategy Needs Urgent Fix
Zalmi’s bowling lacks discipline and planning. No clear death-over strategy has been seen so far. Babar seems unsure about using his main bowlers. Strike bowlers often bowl too late or too early. This shows a lack of planning and reading the game.Khushdil Shah outplayed Zalmi with smart all-round play recently. Even after a strong start, Zalmi failed to finish well.
That reflects more on leadership than individual errors.
Mohammad Rizwan’s Multan Start is Surprisingly Poor
Mohammad Rizwan is a proven leader in PSL history. Multan Sultans have reached the playoffs every season under him. Yet in PSL 2025, they are off to a nightmare start. Three matches. Three losses. No signs of rhythm.This collapse feels shocking for a usually consistent unit. But Rizwan, unlike Babar, has shown smart captaincy before. This makes his current slump feel more like bad luck.
Still, some of his decisions have puzzled fans. Multan’s batting order has been shuffled too often. Set combinations are disturbed and momentum is lost. He has looked uncertain during tight run chases too. Batting Pressure Reflects on Leadership. His calm leadership was once Multan’s biggest strength. But now, it seems he’s burdened by expectations.
Lack of experience bowling and poor middle order batting are hurting Multan Sultans.
Captaincy or Bad Luck: What’s the Real Reason?
Both Babar and Rizwan are elite-level cricketers. But captaincy requires more than just good batting skills.
It’s about instincts, strategy, and motivating the team. So far, both have looked short in those departments. Babar’s stubbornness with batting order is hurting Zalmi. Rizwan’s hesitance in changes is holding back Multan.Their teams are talented but lack direction and fire.
Sometimes, even great players fail to lead under pressure.Yet, luck also plays a part in cricket. Close matches, dropped catches, or missed chances change games. A couple of wins can shift the momentum quickly.
Final Verdict on Babar and Rizwan Captaincy
Babar and Rizwan still have time to bounce back.They are two of Pakistan’s finest batters and leaders. But PSL is fast, brutal, and full of pressure. If results don’t change soon, questions will get louder. Both captains must trust their players and fix key issues. Use right players at the right positions. And most importantly — lead with courage and clarity. Because in PSL, there’s no room for captaincy errors.
Also read this : https://cric92.com/latest/latest-news/khushdil-shah-shines-as-kk-seal-thriller-against-pz/