NEW DLHI: Former Pakistan skipper Younis Khan has weighed in on the pressure and expectations surrounding star Babar Azam, urging him to take inspiration from Indian cricketing icon Virat Kohli.
Younis's comments come as Babar faces scrutiny both on and off the field.
"Babar Azam was made the captain because he was the best player at the time," Younis said. "I was there when the decision was made that the team’s best player should be the captain.
Our players tend to talk more than they perform. If our top players deliver on the field, the results will be clear to everyone."
Younis emphasized that while social media can be a useful tool, the true measure of a cricketer’s value lies in their performance.
"There are high expectations from Babar," Younis noted. "Players should 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."
Younis khan big suggestion for Babar Azam
"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 continued, drawing a parallel with Kohli: "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."
On the field, Babar has been grappling with a noticeable dip in form.
Pakistan's recent loss in a two-Test series against Bangladesh has compounded his struggles.
His performances during the series -- scores of 0, 22, 11, and 31 -- have led to his drop from the ICC top 10 rankings for batters for the first time in years.
This slump in performance has intensified scrutiny over his leadership in white-ball
cricket
, especially following Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the group stage of the
T20 World Cup 2024
.
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