Younis Khan wants struggling Babar Azam to learn from Virat Kohli

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.

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.

"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.

Younis Khan said "Babar Azam can score 15,000 runs but he has to know there are bigger things to achieve than captaincy. Look at Virat Kohli! He left captaincy and he's breaking records. Players should not be selfish and should think about the country" 🇮🇳🇵🇰🔥

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— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) September 15, 2024