LAHORE: A fiery war of words has broken out in Pakistan cricket after former wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal stated that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan should be limited to Test cricket.

It triggered a sharp response from Babar’s father, followed by a strong rebuttal from Akmal himself.

The controversy began when Kamran Akmal, speaking on a podcast, endorsed the continued exclusion of Babar and Rizwan from Pakistan’s T20I squad. He argued the two senior batters were no longer suited for white-ball formats and should now only feature in Tests.

“It’s absolutely the right decision,” Akmal said. “Babar and Rizwan are more suited to longer formats. Maybe after a year, they should be considered only for Test cricket. Even ODIs should be out of the question soon.”

He also emphasised the importance of red-ball cricket, stating that true cricketers heroes are made through Test matches, not the shorter formats.

Azam Siddique Fires Back

The bold comments did not sit well with Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique. In a thinly veiled social media post, he shared an old photo featuring himself, Babar, and Kamran Akmal, accompanied by a sharp caption.

“This child never played under your captaincy, but you played under his and got out for zero, while he scored a century. Talking behind the backs of successful people is a compulsion of those who have failed,” Siddique wrote.

He also referenced the story of Habil and Qabil suggesting betrayal disguised as brotherhood.

Kamran Responds: ‘Stay Within Limits’

Akmal responded swiftly, sharing a screenshot of Siddique’s post and issuing a firm reply on Instagram.

“Being silent isn’t always the answer, especially when false narratives are being spread. Cricket is about performance, not personal agendas,” Akmal stated.

He urged Siddique to refrain from crossing personal lines and added, “Don’t lose your respect by continuing on this path. Stay within your limits.”

Backdrop to the Tension

The feud adds further complexity to the ongoing discourse around Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s role in the national side. Babar hasn’t played a T20I since December 2023 and hasn’t registered a fifty in the format since May 2023. Rizwan, despite briefly captaining the T20I side, was also sidelined as selectors pushed to test emerging talent.

With Pakistan currently facing Bangladesh in a T20I series in Lahore, and the T20 World Cup on the edge, the future of the veteran duo remains uncertain, both on the field and in the public arena.