• Source:JND
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Former Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan has advised that the team's white-ball captain, Babar Azam, could benefit from learning from India batting ace Virat Kohli's batting strategy, especially given the right-handed batter's recent slump in form.

With Babar facing scrutiny for his failure to deliver a substantial innings in the 2023 ODI World Cup, resulting in Pakistan's early exit from the tournament, Younis Khan hopes that emulating Kohli's approach could help the team's white-ball captain regain his footing.

Azam's captaincy term has been tainted by disappointing results, including Pakistan's early departure from the T20 World Cup 2024, where they faced a shocking upset at the hands of debutants USA in the group stage. Furthermore, Babar's individual performance has also been subper, especially in the recent 0-2 series loss to Bangladesh, where he managed 64 runs across four innings.

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Younis, offering words of wisdom, attributed Babar's slump to the weight of expectations and advised him to prioritize fitness and a strong work ethic to regain his form.

"There are high expectations from Babar. Players should use social media wisely, but their real answers should come through their performances with the bat and ball. He (Babar) needs to focus on his fitness and work ethic because opportunities like these don't come around often,” said Younis at a press event in Pakistan as quoted by India Today.

Younis further urged Babar to consider relinquishing captaincy, citing Kohli's resurgence as a prime example. Since stepping down as India's captain, Kohli has been on a fantastic run, breaking records and rediscovering his form. Younis suggested that freeing the captaincy responsibility could also rejuvenate Babar's batting, permitting him to concentrate only on his game and recover his confidence.

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"He has achieved a lot at such a young age, but what he needs to know what he wants to achieve in the future. Captaincy is a small thing, performance is what 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.

Babar's poor Test form has become a critical issue for Pakistan, with the star batter enduring a 16-inning drought without a half-century, his best effort being 39.

With Pakistan set to host England for a crucial three-Test series beginning October 7, the pressure will mount on Babar to regain his red-ball form.