xtratime Logo

Younis Khan and Babar Azam pic:x

Xtra Time Web Desk:Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has openly criticized current captain Babar Azam, stressing that leadership requires more than just batting or bowling skills. According to Younis, a captain must know how to motivate his team and manage pressure effectively, regardless of seniority.

The Pakistan cricket team is currently struggling in various aspects, with Babar facing immense pressure following Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024. Under his leadership, Pakistan was eliminated in the group stage after losses to the USA and India, despite victories against Canada and Ireland.

Read More: Ishan Kishan reveals how Hardik dealt with all the booing and trolling

Speaking at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024, where he captains the Pakistan Champions team, Younis emphasized the importance of a captain's ability to understand and leverage each player’s strengths. "It is not necessary to talk about whether the captain is senior or junior. You should make captain someone who is capable, who can handle pressure. It's not the job of just batting and bowling. To become a leader, you have to think of every player, even if the player is on the bench," Younis stated.

Watch here:

"Apart from batting & bowling, a good leader is also a good motivator." - Younis Khan ????️#PakPassion #YounisKhan pic.twitter.com/u2ter2X4U8

— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) July 8, 2024

Younis highlighted former greats like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, and Wasim Akram as examples of leaders who excelled at motivating their teams. "Why were they good coaches? Because they gave us players like Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, and Shahid Afridi. A leader should be a good motivator alongside being a good batter or bowler," he added.

Read More: Harbhajan Singh meets Kamran Akmal weeks after 'sikh joke' incident! Know more

Babar’s captaincy has been under scrutiny, particularly after scoring just 122 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 101.66 in the T20 World Cup 2024. His leadership was previously questioned following Pakistan's poor performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, leading to his temporary replacement by Shaheen Afridi, who was also later removed.
Calls for a change in captaincy have intensified, with Younis’s comments adding fuel to the debate over Babar’s role as Pakistan’s cricket captain.