Younis Khan: “I want Babar to become a legendary cricketer and lead his team to victories”
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Iconic Pakistan batsman Younis Khan has revealed that limited overs captain Babar Azam has what it takes to become a “legendary cricketer”.
Younis’ comments come after he was named Pakistan’s batting coach for the tour of England.
The 42-year-old will be working closely with Azam during the series and noted that people need to stop putting pressure on the 25-year-old.
Giving an example, Younis said that constantly comparing Azam to India captain Virat Kohli is “unfair”.
“It is unfair to compare Babar Azam with Virat Kohli because the latter has been playing international cricket for more than a decade. Meanwhile, Babar has only played for 4-5 years,” Younis told Cricket Pakistan. “We need to give Babar space and don’t bring him under pressure of expectations. I want Babar to become a legendary cricketer and lead his team to victories.
Meanwhile, Younis admitted that he is thrilled to have been appointed as Pakistan’s batting coach and insists that there won’t “be a clash of personalities” between him and the rest of the coaching staff.
“It’s a blessing that I’m getting a warm welcome from everyone and I’m happy to work in this environment,” he said. “Also the tour of England is an important one because everyone will be closely following the series which is why I’m keen on making a difference through my experience.
“Since [the] past couple of days, I have been thinking about [how] to effectively serve in this role and make my country proud. Just like in a movie when a hero returns and performs which leads to a happy ending.
“I don’t think there will be a clash of personalities because I have worked and played with the current coaching staff in the past and we understand each other really well. So working together will benefit the team rather than the other way round.”
Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests and three T20 Internationals against England.
Recent reports said that the tour is all set to go ahead, but the start date of the Test series will be pushed back from July 30 to August 5.
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