Former Pakistani captain and legendary middle-order batter Younis Khan wants Pakistan’s T20I captain Babar Azam to focus on cricket and improve his game. The 29-year-old right-handed batter has been out of form for quite some time now. He hasn’t scored a fifty in his last 16 Test innings, and his batting as well as captaincy in the T20 World Cup 2024 also invited him a lot of criticism.
According to Younis, who led Pakistan to the T20 World Cup title in 2009, Babar was made captain in 2019 because he was the best batter at that time. He should bring his focus back on cricket and not think about anything else.
“The only suggestion I have for Babar is that he should focus on his cricket. He should up his performance. Babar Azam was made the captain because he was the best player at the time. I was there when the decision was made that the team’s best player should be the captain," Younis said during an event in Pakistan.
“If Babar and other top players deliver on the field, then results will be clear to everyone. I have observed that our players tend to talk more than they perform," he added.
The all-time leading run scorer for Pakistan in Test cricket feels that a player’s focus should always be on cricket and on doing well in any condition.
“Your focus should be on cricket. You have to perform everywhere because there are very high expectations. Players should focus more on cricket and use social media wisely, but their real answers should come through their performances with the bat and ball. He (Babar) needs to focus on his fitness and work ethic because opportunities like these don’t come around often."
“He has achieved a lot at such a young age, but what he needs to know what he wants to achieve in the future. Captaincy is a small thing; performance is what matters," the former batsman added.
He wants Babar to learn from Virat Kohli, who stepped down from leadership but is still going so strong.
“Look at Virat Kohli. He chose to step down from captaincy on his own terms, and now he’s breaking records worldwide. This shows that playing for the country should be the priority. If there’s any energy left, then play for yourself."
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