Younis Khan on Babar Azam: “If you can’t handle pressure, you aren’t capable of being in the national team.”

Younis Khan, a former captain of Pakistan, has brought attention to a worrying trend among the squad by noting the unwillingness to use backups. He used the wicketkeepers Mohammad Rizwan and Sarfaraz Ahmed to illustrate his point.

Younis Khan emphasised the necessity to deal with the problems and not support players just because of their reputation.

Notably, the Pakistan cricket team is receiving harsh criticism after its poor elimination from the Asia Cup 2023’s Super 4 stage, and Babar has received special criticism for his captaincy choices.

After India’s top order collapsed, Babar Azam came under fire for not keeping up with pacers, which ultimately allowed India to bounce back and produce a difficult score. Babar has also come under fire for his ongoing reliance on underwhelming players like Shadab Khan rather than on potential replacements like Usama Mir.

Pakistan struggled in their campaign after a strong start against Bangladesh and a crushing 228-run loss to archrivals India. Babar Azam’s team made a spirited comeback attempt in a rain-affected encounter against Sri Lanka, but it fell short, allowing Sri Lanka to win on the final ball of the run chase.

“Even though Namibia was on the schedule, maintaining the winning combination was our main priority. In our culture, we believe that Rizwan shouldn’t be there if Sarfaraz is the wicketkeeper because this will put pressure on Sarfaraz, and vice versa. Similar to how Younis Khan, a batter of comparable stature, cannot serve as vice-captain if Babar Azam is the team’s captain because it would put Babar under pressure, Younis stated on ARY News.

“You cannot be a member of the national team if you cannot handle this pressure. Then, it will be challenging. Do your homework, please! Actually, being a captain isn’t that big of a problem. You should be aware of how to use your bowler if he isn’t performing well in a specific circumstance. Today, it is impossible to follow a set routine everywhere. Batters have a strategy now. Nothing has gone wrong as of yet. Deal with the ambiguities. Younis continued, “Don’t support someone just because he is a crowd favourite.

Following their elimination from the Asia Cup, allegations of a dispute in the dressing room among players, notably Babar, brought more attention to Pakistan’s cricket team. Concerns about Haris Rauf’s fitness before the 2023 World Cup and Naseem Shah’s unavailability due to a shoulder ailment have added to their problems.

Uncertainties now surround Pakistan’s impending World Cup run, which gets underway on October 6 against Netherlands. In order to leave their mark on the world stage, the team must regroup and concentrate on resolving their deficiencies as they deal with injuries and internal problems.