'If you want to captain in 2023 World Cup then better decisions are must' - Kamran Akmal to Babar Azam

Kamran Akmal thinks Pakistan skipper Babar Azam needs a change in approach while leading the team following Pakistan's ODI series defeat to New Zealand.

The Black Caps won the third ODI by two wickets to seal a 2-1 series win on Friday at Karachi.

Pakistan mustered the highest total (280) in the series at the National Stadium. The hosts also chipped in with regular wickets but Glenn Phillips snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Phillips, who came in to bat at No.7, was unbeaten on 63 in 42 balls, hammering four boundaries and as many sixes.

With reports of PCB mulling sacking Babar Azam from the red-ball captaincy, the defeat in ODIs will rub salt into his wounds.

However, Akmal, who happens to be Babar Azam's cousin, demands the 28-year-old to bring changes to his leadership if he wishes to remain at the helm for the ODI World Cup this year.

Akmal said on his YouTube channel:

"The approach should be great. Team management needs to send a message that captaincy is done in such a way. Babar Azam also needs to understand that we don't have much time left for the 2023 World Cup."

He added:

"If you want to captain there (in the World Cup) then better decisions, showing maturity and better field placements (needs to be taken care of)."

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"New Zealand have destroyed our cricket with that win" - Kamran Akmal

Fakhar Zaman (101) and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan (77) added 154 runs for the third wicket. The partnership revived Pakistan's innings after the early departures of Shan Masood (0) and Babar Azam (4). Afterwards, Agha Salman scored 45 to push Pakistan's score to 280.

Despite the fifties from Kane Williamson (53) and Devon Conway (52) at the halfway mark of the chase, New Zealand were reduced to 205/6. Then, a 64-run stand between Phillips and Mitchell Santner helped them pull out of the hole. Phillips guided the team past the finish line with 11 balls to spare.

Revealing his intuition for New Zealand's surprising performance ahead of the third ODI match, Akmal said:

"[Pakistan] should have won the match and not allowed such circumstances. They should have not given New Zealand the chance to come back after scoring 280.

"I had the fear that New Zealand would create problems in the third ODI and they did that. They have destroyed our cricket with that win, to be honest, because the series is happening in Pakistan."

Pakistan failed to win a single series in their home season against England and New Zealand. They suffered a 0-3 whitewash against England at the end of 2022. It followed with a stalemate in two Tests against the Black Caps followed by losing the recently-concluded ODI series.