Atherton's question about Babar's leadership is, "How much authority does he have in the Pakistan team?"

Not only on-field performance, a captain's leadership should have an impact off the field as well. From team selection to important decisions, it is natural for the captain's opinion to be valued in all areas. However, former England captain Michael Atherton has questioned how well Pakistan captain Babar Azam is able to fulfill that role.

There have been major changes in the Pakistan team ahead of the third Test against England. And this reshuffle has brought to the fore discussions about Babar's leadership and authority. The question now is how much importance the captain's opinion has gained in such a big decision.

Pakistan lost the first two Tests of the series by big margins. After winning by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley, England also won the series by 194 runs at Lord's.

After that, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made big changes to the team. Seven cricketers including Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq were sent back to the country. There were also changes in the coaching staff. Head coach Sarfraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have been removed. Mike Hesson has been appointed as Pakistan's white-ball coach for the third and final Test. The match will begin at Edgbaston on September 9.

In such a situation, Atherton has raised questions about Babar's authority. Criticizing the PCB's decision on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, he said that such frequent changes can be harmful to the team in the long run.

In Atherton's words, "Such changes will be detrimental in the long run. This is no way to manage players or make long-term plans. It is a terrible situation for a captain like Babar Azam. How much authority does Babar or any other Pakistani captain actually have in this team?"

Atherton also admitted that in modern cricket, the captain does not have all the power as before. However, he believes that it is important for the captain to have enough influence in important decisions.

He said, "Nowadays, the captain is not the one with all the power. The situation is not like it was 30 years ago. Then the captains controlled everything. But the captain must have some authority within a team.’

In the meantime, Babar himself is going through a difficult time. He regained the captaincy of Pakistan in the West Indies series before the England tour. Before that, the team was led by Shan Masood.

Babar could not play in the first Test against England due to injury. Although he returned in the second Test, he was out for single digits in both innings. On top of that, such a big reshuffle in the team—all in all, the leadership of the Pakistan captain is now facing a big test.