Fan calls live on air for ‘Wazifa’ to drop Babar Azam after World Cup defeats

Pakistan’s national cricket team, after losing three matches to India including the Asia Cup final, has now also suffered defeat in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

Babar Azam, regarded as the mainstay of the team’s batting line-up, was not part of the Asia Cup squad. However, in the World Cup so far, he has failed to deliver any notable performance.

Due to his poor form, former cricketers as well as fans have been consistently calling for him to be dropped from the team.

In a rather unusual development, a frustrated fan phoned into Express News’s Ramadan transmission and asked religious scholar Maulana Azad Jamil for a “wazifa” to have Babar Azam removed from the side.

Responding to the caller, host Javeria Saud remarked that nowadays everyone seems to be thinking about how to bring better-performing cricketers into the team.

She added that the public deeply loves Pakistan and its cricket team, but those who fail to perform inevitably face calls for their removal.

Maulana Azad Jamil commented that when players hit a six in the stadium, people at home applaud and are inspired to play cricket themselves. He stressed that the game should not be taken lightly, as representing the country is a responsibility.

He further questioned why players appear to freeze upon hearing the name of the neighbouring country when stepping onto the field.

He added that, in his view, the cricket team requires the kind of training and discipline demonstrated by Pakistan’s armed forces.