'Virat Kohli Stepped Down As Captain..'- Younis Khan Urges Pakistan Ace To Follow India Great's Footsteps
Virat Kohli and Babar Azam-(X.com)
Pakistan's white-ball captain, Babar Azam, is going through a slump with the bat. Azam, who often gets compared to Virat Kohli, has looked a pale shadow of himself in 2024. Shedding light on his recent performances, Babar failed to score a solitary fifty in the recently concluded Bangladesh Tests.
His fans and well-wishers are waiting for him to return to form. Meanwhile, former Pakistan batter Younis Khan has urged Azam to follow the footsteps of Virat Kohli. Younis stated that Babar needs to focus on his batting and shut the outside noise. He also cited example of Virat stepping down as India captain.
Younis Khan Indirectly Asks Babar To Step Down As Pakistan Captain
“The only suggestion I have for Babar is that he should focus on his cricket. He should improve his performance. Babar Azam was made captain because he was the best player at the time. I was present when the decision was made that the team’s best player should be the captain,” Younis said during an event in Pakistan.
“He has achieved a lot at such a young age, but he needs to be clear about what he wants to achieve in the future. Captaincy is secondary; performance is what truly matters. 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,” he added.
Younis Khan Advices Babar Azam To Quit Social Media
Younis is unhappy with current generation spending most of their time on social media platforms. Thus, he advised Babar to ditch social media and give a befitting reply to the critics with his bat.
"There are high expectations from Babar, and while players use social media, their real answers should come through the bat and ball," Younis Khan said.
Babar Azam Shines in Champions Cup
Babar Azam found some confidence with the bat when his Champions One-Day Cup side,, the Stallions, faced Lions and he played a 76 runs innings. However, the right-hand batter is far from finding his golden touch as a video went viral on the internet where he got out to a spinner in the practice session.
It is a tough time for Babar as there are cries of him being ousted as Pakistan's white-ball skipper. Meanwhile, Azam would look to return to form in time for Champions Trophy 2025 set to begin in February.