Mohammad Yousuf: “I advised him to play first-class cricket three years back to improve [his] batting technique but [the] PCB management in return said we can’t drop Babar Azam”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf has revealed that he advised Babar Azam to return to first-class cricket three years ago to refine his technique.
Yousuf stated that Azam’s technique is not what it once was and believed the 31-year-old would benefit from playing domestic cricket to regain form.
However, the suggestion fell on deaf ears as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declined to drop Azam from the national side.
“I advised him to play first-class cricket three years back to improve [his] batting technique but [the] PCB management in return said we can’t drop Babar Azam,” Yousuf was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X.
Azam has shown signs of improvement with the bat lately as he made 115 runs in a Test match against Bangladesh, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 57.50.
He followed that up with 125 runs in three ODIs against Australia, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 41.66.
Having been reappointed as Pakistan’s Test captain, Azam is now leading the men in green in their two-Test series against the West Indies and struck 23 and 58 not out in the 1st Test, which his side lost by 90 runs.
The 2nd Test will take place in Trinidad and Tobago from August 2 to 6.
After that, Pakistan will travel to England for a three-Test series from August 19 to September 13.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
Pakistan Squad for England Test series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah